


One Last Wish

by Disaster_Space_Mom



Category: Destiny (Video Games), Destiny 2 - Fandom
Genre: A family can be two moms (one of whom is an Ahamkara) an anxious ghost and a broken shank, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon Compliant, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/F, Fluff, Found Family, I mean, No Smut, Not Beta Read, Slow Burn, a lot of this story is going to be more down to earth than the rest of the Destiny universe, and Riven just being overtly flirtatious, but they jump to friends almost instantly, expect some moral ambiguity, have you heard her voice lines when she speaks as Mara???, it's a guardian x riven story so just uh, more personal struggles and moral dilemmas than cosmic shenanigans, one big twist on the canon but other than that this fic should be completely, this is a fluff fic more than anything else
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2021-02-11
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:55:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 9
Words: 29,567
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28281270
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Disaster_Space_Mom/pseuds/Disaster_Space_Mom
Summary: "Why she had taken the appearance of Mara Sov, the Titan still had yet to fully comprehend. Perhaps this had been “the twist” on the guardian’s self-indulgent wish, the inevitable finger curling of the monkey’s paw. The looks the normally reclusive Titan received now were insufferable, and the comments were enough to drive her mad, but nevertheless, she had no regrets. The bond was sealed, the wish was granted, and there was no force in the universe that could tear it apart."Riven of a Thousand Voices, the last Ahamkara, has granted countless wishes over the course of her lifetime. Requests for power, money, influence, and more were all common occurrences, but for the first time in her life the Ahamkara has received a wish... for a friend. Now, struck into a bargain with no loopholes, she must learn what it means to be human, and above all else, learn what it means to be a friend.
Relationships: Female Guardian/Riven of a Thousand Voices, Riven has essentially taken the form of Mara Sov though
Comments: 15
Kudos: 65





	1. Welcome to the Last City!

**Author's Note:**

> I really fell in love with the idea of Riven taking Mara Sov's form to influence Uldren during the story of Forsaken, and I decided to roll with it. How would a being, who has essentially been trapped in a tower for most of her life, react to being thrown into the last city? How would the vanguard react to being confronted about their attempted genocide of the Ahamkara? Is everyone capable of change? And would an Ahamkara enjoy a hot dog? 
> 
> I attempt to answer all of these questions and more over the course of this story and I hope you enjoy the ride!

Why she had taken the appearance of Mara Sov, the Titan still had yet to fully comprehend. Perhaps this had been “the twist” on the guardian’s self-indulgent wish, the inevitable finger curling of the monkey’s paw. The looks the normally reclusive Titan received now were insufferable, and the comments were enough to drive her mad, but nevertheless, she had no regrets. The bond was sealed, the wish was granted, and there was no force in the universe that could tear it apart.

The unlikely duo made their way through the narrow streets of the last city, the heat of the midsummer day making its presence known to all who had elected to spend their day outside. It was the type of day that the black-haired titan normally would have spent reading alone in her apartment, but she was no longer alone, she had a roommate, and one whose hunger never seemed to be quite satiated. If nothing else, this lunch run would be the perfect opportunity for a breath of fresh air.

“They’re like insects.” The Awoken imposter groaned, disgust and hate seeping into her every word. “So blissfully ignorant of all that surrounds them, of all that you’ve done.” The imposter purred, a wry smile growing on her face. “You could be so much more, you deserve more than - ”

“This!” The titan burst angrily, spreading her arms to gesture towards the city, her city. “is why I do all that I do. This city…” The titan paused, attempting to properly collect her thoughts. “It represents the best of us, of humanity. The people here know of the dangers that surround them. They’re not ignorant, they’re brave. They know full-well of all that they could lose, and yet day-by-day they never lose hope. That’s true strength!” The titan snapped, turning the heads of a few citizens towards their direction.

The false Awoken smiled nefariously, gently placing her hands upon the taller woman’s back as she noticed the looks of disgust drawn their way. “They may not know exactly what you’ve done, o deceiver mine, but they will. It’s only a matter of time.”

Quickly realizing that she was beginning to make a scene, the titan gently grabbed the shorter woman’s arm and continued to lead her to their destination. The past week had been filled with nothing but the goading and condescension of her new companion, desperate attempts to trick her and inevitably escape, but all these attempts had been in vain. It was the solemn duty of the titans to hold the wall, to remain inviable in both their combat efforts and their convictions, and Calico would not be broken. 

The young wolf had accomplished much in her time as a guardian, from defeating the heart in The Black Garden to staving off the Red Legion, but the relief she had now felt easily rivaled these achievements. The two women had finally arrived at the local hot dog vendor, which meant that the titan’s vindictive guest would finally shut her mouth, for at least a few minutes.

“Heya, Luca!” The black-haired titan smiled brightly, waving to the vendor. “How’s business?” She asked, glad to see that the man was still alive and well. 

The older gentleman scowled at the sight of the façade of the late Awoken queen but shrugged it off. A customer was a customer, and the business that the guardian of guardians had brought him was more than worth whatever trouble this walking lie could have brought upon him. “S’all right, I suppose.” The man grumbled, scratching the stubble on his face. “I take it you’ll want your regular, Cal. But what’s your mysterious friend here want?” He questioned intently, wondering what someone who so much resembled the Awoken matriarch would be doing at his hot dog stand.

Calico gently nudged her shoulder against the shorter woman’s, attempting to garner a response. “Well, Riv- uh… Friend.” The guardian feigned a chuckle and scratched the back of her head, a desperate attempt to hide the fact that she had nearly revealed one of the galaxy’s greatest lies to a hot dog vendor. “What kind of hot dog do you want?” 

The false Awoken stared at the man with an intensity that made him uncomfortable, but quickly turned her eyes to the cart. It had been so difficult to read the woman, and it was even more difficult to discern the validity of all that she had said, but for the first time since the two had met the blue-eyed woman had spoken truthfully. “What is a hot dog?” The shorter woman questioned curiously. The regality of the woman’s voice juxtaposed against such a ridiculous question was downright comedic, and it was with great strain that the titan had managed to respond back to the vendor with a straight face.

“On second thought.” Calico now chuckled. “We’ll just share the one. Thanks, Luca!” The titan smiled, reaching into her jacket pocket and tossing the man some glimmer. 

The white-haired woman’s eyes met the guardian’s, and just as Cal had presumed, it was only due to the shorter woman preparing her vitriol. “I have negotiated with gods and goddesses, I have lived – eons. And yet, here I stand, here - we stand, awaiting for the service of some plebian - ”

“We all need to eat.” The young wolf interjected sternly, folding her arms. “Even you require sustenance, it’s just the way of the universe.” As she lectured her roommate, the woman could feel Luca’s curious stare facing towards their direction. “I apologize for my friend.” The guardian smiled guiltily towards the vendor. “She’s, uh, not from around here.”

“Yeah, I can tell.” The man scowled with a shake of his head as he prepped the dog. “Say…” He continued inquisitively. “Your friend here, looks a lot like, uh - ”

“Like, Mara Sov, I know. She gets that a lot!” Cal laughed nervously, eyeing up the imposter. Despite the common garbs that she had gifted her new companion, and despite her hood, that face was unmistakable, and it was this inquiry from a familiar face that prompted the false Awoken to grin once again. 

Luca furrowed his brows, eyes darting back and forth between his customers, and shook his head once again. “I can imagine.” He frowned, now adding relish and mustard to the hot dog. “Anyways… Here’s your dog.” The man continued, handing the snack to the guardian. “You two stay out of trouble!” The vendor’s tone turning from one of suspicion to one of stern but paternal care.

“Aw, c’mon, Luca!” Calico beamed, taking the hot dog. “If I did that then I’d be outta business!” The man released a sad smile, and waved the duo off, watching curiously as they both took a seat on a nearby bench. 

“Here.” The titan remarked softly as she offered the hot dog to her companion. “Try it.” Calico remarked, watching as the pretender gently took the hot dog.

The white-haired woman examined the snack thoroughly, her eyes filled with revulsion. “What is this?” She asked with disgust, now pausing to sniff to the dog.

“Y’know… I don’t really know.” The young wolf chuckled, her eyes fondly locked onto her curious companion, who was still inspecting their shared meal. “And at this point, I’m really too scared to ask.” 

The faux Mara quickly met the guardian’s eyes with her own but withdrew them instantly and proceeded to further inspect the dog. After a few moments, and one very drawn-out sigh, she slowly took a bite out of the hot dog. Calico eagerly watched as her companion began to chew. She had expected the woman to spit the bite out, or even vomit, whatever scenario would be the most agonizing for her to deal with, but this was not the case. Watching as the woman had proceeded to take another generous bite, Calico recognized the look of pleasure on the shorter woman’s face. She was enjoying it. 

“So, I take it that you like it?” The black-haired woman smiled, as she watched the woman eat.

“It is adequate.” The imposter replied matter-of-factly. “How do you expect anything in this slum to compare to the feasts granted in the Dreaming City is beyond me.” Her tone once again turning to its usual mockery. “Why do you? The guardian of guardians, set your standards so low?” A mischievous smile grew upon her face. “We could feast every day, you know? All you need is wish it.”

Calico would have prepared another lecture, but her attention was drawn to a small cluster of children playing with a ball nearby. Their laughter and shouts filling the air, followed by Luca’s shouts for them to be more careful. “All I need is right here.” The titan replied with a sad smile. “Besides, you can’t tell me you’d seriously prefer being locked away in that tower of yours over this?” The guardian gestured to the civilian life bustling around them. 

“You mention life, yet you yourself are apart from it.” The white-haired woman remarked with a tilt of her head, and an all-knowing smirk. “Whether you admit it or not, you ARE a guardian. There will always be a disconnect from you and these… insects. You are greater, and you could be more.”

“Bringing you here.” Calico sighed wearily, now proceeding to rub her temples. “It was a risk… A selfish one. BEYOND selfish.” The titan continued with a shake of her head. “No, there are people here in this city who are ‘greater’ than I’ll ever be.”

“You twist my words, god-killer.” The shorter woman smiled condescendingly. “You learn quickly.”

“There’s nothing I could learn from you. Except that despite your apparent disdain of humanity, you sure love our food.” The young wolf grinned, noticing that her companion had devoured the entirety of what was supposed to be their shared dinner. Prematurely denying her guest the satisfaction of a retort, Calico tossed the woman some glimmer. “We were supposed to share that thing, y’know! Go on! Get us another!” The titan laughed. “And think long and hard about your response after remembering that I’m treating you to the best dogs in the city!”

The pretender’s eyes glared at the guardian’s once more before she made her way back to the vendor. Luca laughed heartily at the sight of the Mara look-alike returning for seconds. “Lady, you scarfed that thing down so quickly I’d swear you were part cabal!”

“Not cabal, no.” The woman replied sinisterly. “Worse.” 

With a quick gulp, the smile on the vendor’s face quickly dissipated. “So, I, uh… Take it you’re here for seconds?” The bald man fumbled nervously, reaching for the glimmer that was now being handed towards him by the mysterious woman.

His question was answered with a nod, but he had more to ask. He had so desperately wanted to know more. How had this resemblance to the late Awoken queen come to be? This universe was anything but arbitrary. Was she a guardian? How had she met the young wolf? He shook all the questions aside, with a little digging, he was sure he’d be able to dig up an answer. Gossip was plentiful in the last city after all. But there was one question he NEEDED answered, the one that would be the first step into his quest for answers. He needed a name.

“Say, uh, lady?” Luca inquired curiously, placing the hot dog in its bun. “You got a name?” 

The bright-blue eyed woman smiled malevolently, reflecting upon her bargain with the titan. She was sure making friends was part of the deal, or it would be. Wishes such were fickle things. Whatever the case, keeping her identity a secret was not explicitly stated in their deal, and it would be so very rude to deny this man what he wished to know in his search for knowledge. “Riven.” The imposter smiled malevolently. “My name is Riven.”

* * *

The titan continued her peoplewatch, taking in all the life that bustled around her as she waited for the Ahamkara to return with their meal. Watching the groups pass by, the guardian could not help stop the dull ache of melancholy making its familiar return. It had been nearly over half a decade since she had lost her fireteam to the darkness, but the loneliness that had begun to grow in her soul still burned just as intensely. She had been half of a two-guardian fireteam, and the vacancy that her partner left after her passing had never truly been filled. Even the titan’s ghost, Marcel, had slowly given up his attempts to cheer her up, realizing that the best thing he could do would be to remain by her side until the very end, letting his presence be known without being overbearing. 

The young wolf had been a part of many fireteams since the loss of her own, but the emptiness that she felt surrounded by others made her pain worse. For no other guardian could take the spot of her late friend. And it was with this reason that Marcel had forced his mouth shut when the melancholy titan had made her wish. When the guardian had wished… for a friend. 

The ghost, unable to leash his metaphorical tongue, could no longer restrain himself, and phased out of his guardian’s backpack. “Calico…” The titan’s soft-spoken ally started softly. “You’re going to have to tell the vanguard what you’ve done at some point. You have to -”

“I know!” The titan groaned frowned. “I know… For now we just need to –” But before she could continue any further, Cal noticed the Ahamkara making her return, hot dog in hand. 

The false Awoken carefully made her way through the crowds of people, a clear look of loathing on display to anyone who dared look her way until she had retaken her seat next to the guardian. “This place is abominable.” The Ahamkara hissed, glaring at a small child who turned his head towards their direction. 

Calico stared at her new companion, trying to discern the root cause for her anger until it clicked. “You really don’t hate these people, humanity, that strongly do you?” The taller woman grinned proudly, finally putting the pieces together. “You’re just mad I won. Beat the trickster at her own game.” 

The Ahamkara slightly tilted her head in bewilderment. “A wish is a bargain, and a bargain benefits both parties. I have lost nothing.” She boasted proudly, taking a bite into the hot dog.

“So, you admit that you do like it here then?” Calico replied sardonically. “You’re exactly where you want to be? Here, with me, in the last city?” 

“My will is not my own.” The imposter replied matter-of-factly. “You wished for companionship and here I am. I am free of that…” The Ahamkara paused, staring out into the distance with malice. “Free of that prison. We’ve both gotten what we wanted, but you know as well as I do that I’d rather be anywhere else than that tower.”

“Yeah.” The titan frowned. “But I’ve still got you beat, you’re stuck with me now. To try to manipulate this wish in any way goes against what I’ve asked for.” The guardian now smiled, trying to discern the feelings of the woman beside her. “I won, and once you finally get over that then maybe. Just MAYBE, you’ll learn to love this place as much as I do.” 

The false Awoken carefully raised the hot dog to her companion’s lips, allowing the black-haired woman to take a bite. “Maybe so, O friend mine.” The imposter quipped. “But allow me to make something abundantly clear…” She started with a smirk on her face. “Were the guardian of guardians to ever meet her… untimely end. There would be no one to stop me from burning this place to the ground.”

Calico took another bite of the hot dog being held so near, her eyes smiling at the Ahamkara. “I’ll make sure to be careful then.” She beamed. “I wouldn’t want my new friend to be left so distraught upon my loss.”

The white-haired woman smiled wryly, now taking another bite of the hot dog herself. “Perhaps we’ll manage to get along after all.”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.” Calico smiled sincerely, watching the wish-granter suppress the joy on her face as she once again proceeded to devour another hot dog. 

The Ahamkara crossed both her legs atop the bench, unconsciously inching slightly closer to the guardian and joined in on watching the crowds pass on by. “The dreaming city was never this crowded.” Riven remarked flatly, now realizing how close she was to the guardian, memories of wrapping herself around the actual Mara Sov in her youth flooding back to her. “Even in its prime.” 

“You lived in a palace.” Cal smiled, throwing her head back to stare at the clear blue sky. “Of course it was never like this.”

“Why do you not join your fellow lightbearers in the tower?” The Awoken pretender asked inquisitively. “You cannot deny the fact that you would, at the very least, revel in the fact that you could take several steps without bumping into some… street urchin. You belong with your kind.”

“The people here are my kind.” The sunbreaker smiled, bringing her gaze to meet the Ahamkara’s. 

“And yet you’re so different. So apart.” Riven remarked, trying her best to analyze the guardian. 

“We’re all different, Riv.” The black-haired woman smiled. “That’s what makes us so special.” She replied, gently nudging the shapeshifter with her shoulder. “Kinda bums me out that we’ll never be able to see this side of the Eliksni or the cabal or -”

“All you need is wish it.” Riven purred teasingly, drawing herself even closer to the guardian. 

“Oh no!” Cal laughed, booping the shorter woman on the nose. “I’ve got my hands full with you as it is.” She chuckled, watching as her companion furrowed her brows, attempting to discern what exactly had just happened. 

The imposter gazed at the guardian and sighed. “Can we go home now? The heat is insufferable.” She remarked, throwing her hood off in an attempt to cool down.

“Shouldn’t a space dragon enjoy this type of day?” The titan teased with a wink, now beginning to stand up and stretch. 

“I am not some creature from your folklore.” The Ahamkara hissed, extending her hand to be helped to her feet. “The Dreaming City… Carved and shaped by my power, sitting on the edge of the light and the dark. Was cold… As all things touched by the void are.” She continued, taking the titan’s hand as she stood up. “This is not comfortable no.” 

Feeling a slight pang of guilt, the taller woman smiled sadly and nodded. “Alright, we’ll go home. Maybe Marcel will finally be able to get the a/c running today.”

Beginning to realize that the guardian was near impervious to mockery, the Ahamkara frowned and followed her host back home. For better or worse, this was her life now, and there was nothing that she could do to change that.


	2. The Apartment

Calico’s abode was situated directly in between the heart of the last city and its outer walls in a small apartment complex. It was the last place one would ever think to find a guardian, which is exactly why she had chosen to make it her permanent residence. Nearly every part of the building had begun to crumble apart, but it was her home, and she wouldn’t have had it any other way.

As the two women made their way through the complex’s lobby they were instantly greeted by a very large tabby cat making her way through the titan’s legs. “Hi, baby!” Calico chuckled, picking up what had become the building’s unofficial mascot. “How are you? How was your day?” The guardian inquired playfully, nose kissing the feline. 

“What a little morsel.” The false Awoken chuckled, flashing a fanged grin. “May I see it?”

Calico froze, instantly turning her gaze toward the Ahamkara in shock. “That is literally, one of the most suspicious things I have ever heard in my entire life.” The titan scowled, the cat still in hand. “And I’ve literally worked odd jobs for Emperor Calus aboard the Leviathan.”

The Ahamkara chuckled sinisterly, her true fangs still bared, a reminder of who she really was beneath this façade. “We’re friends, guardian. Trust me. Is that not what friends do?” She inquired, feigning offense into her voice. 

Cal eyed her roommate up and down suspiciously before finally giving in. “Fine.” The titan groaned, passing the cat over to the shorter woman. “But if I catch you unhinging your jaw like a snake or something I’ll – ”

“Nonsense.” Riven interjected reaching for the feline. “In all my life, I’ve never seen such a creature before.” She remarked, holding the cat at arm’s length. 

The young wolf smiled softly, watching as her companion gently placed the cat back to the ground. “Come on, let’s head go upstairs.” The titan remarked, making her way towards the elevator near the back of the lobby. “We’ve got a long day tomorrow.”

“You’ve got a long day tomorrow.” The Ahamkara corrected grumpily, making her way into the elevator which had now proceeded to open.

“You can come with me, you know. You may not be able to join in, but there are plenty of places you'll be able to watch the match live in the tower!” The taller woman smiled, referencing her highly anticipated crucible match the following afternoon. “I’m sure Lord Shaxx wouldn’t mind if you wanted to watch in person too.” The young wolf continued, clicking the button for the third and top floor of the complex. 

“You’re so tiny yet you fight so fiercely.” Riven purred. “Your… crucible has done well, but you could be the greatest guardian of all time.” The Mara Sov pretender proposed huskily, slowly making her way behind the titan. “You would be unstoppable.” The Ahamkara continued, rubbing Calico’s shoulders. “You could keep your precious city and all of your… friends… safe. Just one wish, guardian. It’s all it would take.”

“See, keeping the people I care about safe?” The guardian remarked, closing her eyes as she enjoyed the unexpected massage. “Now you’re beginning to speak my language.” But I don’t care about being the strongest or whatever. True strength is something you carry on the inside, and besides -” Cal smiled, listening as the elevator had signaled that they had arrived at their floor. “It wouldn’t be fun to just instantly be great at something. It’s the entire learning process that helps us grow, y’know?” She continued, gesturing for Riven to make her way out of the elevator. 

“Your saccharine life outlook is… unbearable.” The shorter woman remarked with an eyeroll as she exited the lift. “Perhaps I will join you after all… It’s hard to believe someone as naïve as you is considered to be one of the greatest guardians of all time. It would be refreshing to have another reminder of your strength.” 

“Hey, this ‘saccharine’ schtick I have going on. It’s why you’re still here.” The titan replied seriously, losing all the whimsicality of her tone. “You were TAKEN, Riven. You’re the last of your kind. I admit, a large portion of my wish was self-serving. But my optimism is why you’re still alive! Because I believe that you can use all of your power to finally do something good!” The guardian remarked as she stepped out of the elevator, watching as her companion had turned to make proper eye contact.

“You, like all guardians before you - ” Riven snarled. “Decided to keep me around for what I can give you, more wishes. And you have somehow managed to find a loophole in a process as old as time itself to keep all of my power to yourself. You don’t give a damn about me! You just want -”

“I just want you!” Calico snapped, quickly realizing what she had said. “I mean – I want you alive…” The titan continued softly, trying to figure out how she had dug herself into this argument. 

Over the past week of planning, of bargaining, and managing a heist to sneak a living Ahamkara into the last city, Calico had seen the woman display a rotating array of disgust, anger, and smugness, but this was the first time that the titan had actually caused the imposter to freeze in disbelief. 

“You are the last of your species.” The sunbreaker remarked, now softening her tone. “From the moment that I had learned of your existence I knew I would be assigned to a team to kill you… To finish the genocide started in the great hunt.” Cal sighed with exhaustion, her thoughts now lingering upon the atrocity committed by “the light.” “But I couldn’t let – You NEED to survive.” She continued ardently. The loss of an entire species means the death of a part of the galaxy’s soul. You can hate me all you want, but I promise that I didn’t -”

“A kindred spirit.” Riven muttered under her breath with a sad chuckle, folding her arms. 

“I – beg your pardon?” The titan inquired gently, proceeding to fold her arms as well. 

“You’re the guardian of guardians, the young wolf, the number of your titles will one day rival the stars… With or without my guidance.” The white-haired woman remarked somberly. “I have seen greatness before… Usually it consumes. It rips and tears the soul apart from the inside, making those who possess it sick with pride.” The Ahamkara shook her head and chuckled sinisterly. “Typically, that pride leads them to their end, but you – All that potential and it’s just made you lonely.” In her true form, it was incredibly difficult to make out the Ahamkara’s emotions, but as she masqueraded in the shape of the late Awoken queen, it was easy to see the misery now plastered on her face.

“Are you lonely too?” The titan asked, internally berating herself for asking a question of this matter so bluntly.

Riven looked to the floor and sighed before meeting the guardian’s eyes. “You said so yourself, guardian… I’m the last of my kind.”

The two women stood in the empty hallway, pausing to absorb the weight of all that been tossed out into the open until the silence was broken by the guardian gesturing to their room with a tilt of her head.

* * * 

Calico’s room was small, much smaller than any of the guardian’s quarters in the tower, and as a result it was practically overflowing with treasures from across the cosmos. Books, golden age travel posters, records, plants, weapons, and other miscellaneous prizes littered every nook and cranny. The fact that the room also had to serve as a living space, bedroom, and kitchen didn’t help either. It was small and crowded, but it was home.

“Hey, Marcel!” The titan chimed, tossing her signature jacket onto the bed. “Mind trying to get that a/c up and running? This heat is killer.”

The ghost phased out of his guardian’s pack, the tiny thrusters on his shell boosting him towards the wall panel which had been defective since they had moved in. “I’ll try my best, but I think every time I fiddle with this thing I make it worse.”

The Ahamkara took a seat upon the bed, removing the hood she had been using to help hide her appearance. “I know how to fix it.” She remarked smugly.

“No! No, thank you.” Cal replied with a roll of her eyes. “You know you wouldn’t have to wear that thing if you just took a form that wasn’t Mara freaking Sov!” The young wolf scoffed, making her way for the coffee maker that she had salvaged from the ruins of the EDZ. “I mean, why Mara anyways?”

“A beautiful face and beautiful words make it easier to mask the truth of reality.” The Ahamkara replied matter-of-factly, curling herself up on the edge of the bed like a cat. “Mara Sov was a fool. She imprisoned me, used me as a tool, actively gambled with the lives of her people -”

“She’s incredibly rude.” Marcel chimed in, still trying to discern what was wrong with the a/c.

“My point is, guardian.” The false Awoken continued. “That it is much easier to deceive the simple minded when you look like this.”

“I have an alternative theory.” The titan replied as she searched the cabinets located on the right side of the room for coffee beans.

“I was not informed that you were actually a warlock.” Riven quipped dryly. “What is your theory, o erudite mine?” 

“I think -” The guardian chuckled, completely ignoring her roommate’s sarcasm. “That you just enjoy feeling beautiful.” She smiled, prepping up the coffee machine. “I mean – it’s just us, Riv. You can take whatever form you want now, but you still look like -” The titan turned, gesticulating towards the shorter woman. “You’re still very much Mara Sov.”

The Ahamkara sat up on the edge of the bed. “Does this form displease you?” She asked curiously, her facial expression lacking any trace of emotion. 

“I mean -” Calico’s cheeks turned a bright red. Of all the women to share a bed with, it would be hard to complain about sharing one with the mirror image of the Awoken matriarch. “I – uh, I mean, I’m not complaining.” The sunbreaker fumbled awkwardly. 

Maybe it was her chronic exhaustion, but Calico swore she saw what was a grin on her roommate’s face before she proceeded to curl back up on the bed. “Good.” Riven replied calmly. “Because you are correct. I have grown attached to this form, and I’m going to keep it.” 

The guardian kept her eyes firmly focused towards the tiny, makeshift kitchen in an attempt to hide her blush. From her peripheral vision, she could see Marcel lookinh at her. His single eye staring at her with what she felt was extreme judgment. The lecture was coming, and now all the brown-eyed woman could do was prepare for it.

“I’m gonna get some air outside on the patio while I wait for the coffee to brew.” Calico sighed, watching her roommate shut her eyes. “Have a nice nap, Riv.” She smiled, watching the Ahamkara who had merely bundled herself tighter together on the bed in response.

Making her way out to the tiny patio, the guardian stared towards the sky and began to watch the ships fly by overhead. “Alrighed.” She groaned wearily, noticing that Marcel had come to join her. “Let’s hear it.”

“Can’t I try to enjoy some peace and quiet with my friend?” The ghost asked accusingly, turning his eye skyward as well.

“So… You’re not going to lecture me about getting’ all domestic with an Ahamkara?” The guardian chuckled awkwardly, scratching the back of her messy black hair.

“I thought about it.” The ghost chuckled, turning towards the lightbearer. “But I figure Zavala’s reaction will be punishment enough.”

“I deserve it.” Calico frowned, now turning her head downwards towards the crowded alley below. “He’s just trying to take care of his people, and I brought a freaking Ahamkara right into the heart of HIS city.” 

“Our city.” The ghost corrected frankly. “And your heart’s in the right place. If the vanguard asks, I will outright deny it, but personally, I think you made the right choice.”

“Gee, thanks for the honesty.” The titan scoffed playfully, gently pushing the ghost with her hand. “But I mean… did I make the right choice? She let herself be taken for the traveler’s sake! Do you think -”

“If anyone can teach an Ahamkara what it means to be human it’s you.” The ghost beamed, nudging his carapace against his guardian’s shoulder. “And I’m sorry to ruin the moment, but the a/c is still malfunctioning. I really think that we should just call the landlord at this point.”

“Nah.” Cal smiled. “Pretty sure he’s really busy anyways. I don’t want to bug him.”

“You just don’t want to call him do you?” Marcel questioned dryly, tilting his shell at an angle in what was the ghost’s equivalent of an eyeroll. 

“Yeah, no. I’m not calling him.” The young wolf replied flatly, turning her head to stare through the glass door of her apartment, watching her roommate sleep soundly. “I’ve always been jealous of people who can fall asleep so easily.” The black-haired woman sighed. 

“You could always wish for a good nights sleep.” Marcel teased playfully. 

“Stop!” Calico laughed. “She’d end up putting me in a coma or something.” She continued, opening the sliding glass door to head back inside. “C’mon, it’s coffee time!”

“Cal…” The ghost sighed, following his friend. “You consume more caffeine than every other guardian in the tower combined.” He added exasperatedly. 

“It’s why I’m always so energetic! Ready for combat!” The titan chuckled softly, shadowboxing in the air. 

“It’s probably why you can’t sleep.” Marcel replied flatly, making his way to the end table besides the guardian’s bed. “Do – do you mind?” He asked, directing his attention to a small electronic device with some sort of fruit insignia on its back. 

“Oh, yeah, sure.” The titan smiled, turning the device on and angling it into a position for her ghost to watch. “That movie with the green ogre again?” 

“Please. And thank you.” The ghost replied, his shell, shaped to look like a lunar lander, slowly settling down on the table to watch the film. “That ogre is MUCH nicer than the one’s in the hive.” He chortled. “What are you going to do?” 

“Same thing I do every night.” Calico smiled softly as she poured herself a cup of coffee. “Read.” The titan turned around, taking a sip of her coffee as she watched the scene play out before her. An interstellar space dragon masquerading as royalty slept at the edge of her tiny bed. Her ghost perched on her end table, quietly watching a film recovered from a time long before the golden age and its subsequent collapse. It was a view she never would have had if she decided to live with the other guardians in their towers, and she wouldn’t have had it any other way. 

Slowly kicking off her boots, the titan carefully took a seat on her bed, trying her best not to wake her roommate who was now fast asleep near her feet. She doubted that she would be able to take a nap, but a quick rest of her eyes was just what the titan needed.

* * *

Several hours later, the titan awoke to the realization that yes, she had actually managed to get some rest. Near the sink and countertop that served as her makeshift kitchen, the sunbreaker watched as Riven took a sip of the cup of coffee she had left unfinished from before her nap.

“Ah, the young wolf wakes from her slumber.” The false Awoken chuckled, now wearing one of the guardian’s t-shirts which was much too large on her frame. “Your little friend here was telling me how you had just said you had trouble sleeping.”

“Maybe it’s the company.” The titan replied with a yawn. “First time in a long time that anyone’s slept with an Ahamkara. And for the record -” She continued with a stretch. “You can call me Calico. You don’t have to call me by any of these titles or whatever… They’re all a bit too pretentious for my taste if we’re being honest.”

“Well then – Calico.” Riven paused, savoring the words on her lips. “Your coffee has gotten cold.” The shorter woman remarked, lowering her mouth to the mug and expelling a small flame. “Try it now.” She remarked, handing the mug to her host.

The guardian took the mug and sipped. “Thanks, Riv.” She smiled, watching her roommate take a close seat next to her. 

“I could do so much more for you than heat up your beverages.” The woman scoffed. “Think of all we could accomplish if -”

“Y’know.” The titan interrupted frankly. “We went out, got some food, and I managed to take a nap for the first time in I can’t remember how long.” She smiled. “You didn’t need to grant a single wish to give me exactly what I wanted. A day with some peace of mind. Thank you.”

Riven stared at the taller woman in awe. Everybody wanted something, what was wrong with this guardian that she could stare into eternity and not even wonder. And to top it off, this guardian had been the first person in her life to actually thank her for, well, anything. She had torn a hole into the fabric of reality itself to carve the dreaming city for the Awoken without so much as a “good job” in response, but this titan had thanked her for a nice day? The feeling that began to stir within her was alien, but not altogether unpleasant, and deep down she began to grow a craving for more of it. “I’d -” The white-haired woman gulped. “You’re welcome.”

The titan rose to her feet, making her way for a pile of books haphazardly placed on the ground. “You want to read anything?” She asked her roommate. “I’m sorry, but I don’t have much for entertainment here and Marcel looks like he’s still watching the fruit.”

There were books of all sorts littered on the floor, on cabinets, there were even a couple on the kitchen countertop, and the woman had no idea where to even begin. “What are you reading now?” Riven inquired softly.

“I – uh, it’s kind of embarrassing – I – ”

“She’s trying to teach herself how to read Hive.” Marcel interrupted, watching what appeared to be another movie.

The woman in the baggy t-shirt stood up, snatching the book that was now in the guardian’s hands. “It would be so much simpler if I just –”

“No!” The taller woman stammered. “No wishes, I’m good, thank you. I’ll just -”

“It would be so much simpler if I just showed you how.” The Ahamkara purred, drawing herself closer to the sunbreaker. “O Calico mine.”

“You can show me?!” The titan burst enthusiastically. 

“We are bonded now.” Riven cooed, gently brushing her shoulder against the titan. A move she had often used when interacting with the actual Mara Sov in her youth. “We are… friends. There will be much I can teach you from now on.” Taking a seat on their bed, the faux Awoken slowly opened the book, a warlock’s best attempts at cataloging the alien language, and gestured for the taller woman to take a seat beside her. “Come, friend.” She smiled. “Let us begin.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Holidays everyone! This is probably going to be the last time I update this fic before the year's end so I hope all of you are staying safe and wrapping up the year on a positive note! Take care!


	3. Shaxx

Following a long night of trying and failing to produce the utterly alien sounds of the Hive, the trio had decided to get a good night's sleep. The onset of the following morning also provided Calico the perfect opportunity to enjoy one of her favorite parts of the day, breakfast. 

“You sure you’re ready for this?” Marcel chirruped atop the kitchen countertop, watching his guardian using her solar hammer to toast some bread.

“It’s just the crucible.” Calico scoffed. “I’m the QUEEN of the crucible. I don’t even need whatever fireteam Shaxx assigned me, I’ll take on the whole team by mysel-”

“I meant.” The ghost interrupted impatiently. “About seeing your ex again.” 

The titan froze up, stopping mid hammer-swing in shock. “If – if by see her again you mean absolutely destroying her in our match later then yes.” The young wolf cackled, smashing the piece of toast with her weapon. “I am.” 

Marcel sighed and adjusted himself, compensating for the damage to his right thruster he had acquired on a strike many years ago. “You’ve made it abundantly clear that you don’t… But if you want to talk about it…” The ghost replied sadly. “You know I’m here for you.” 

Calico frowned, staring at the piece of toast which had been burnt to a crisp. “I just miss her so much.” She remarked, tears beginning to swell in her eyes. 

“After all that she’s done to you?!” Marcel burst. “You deserve better than – ”

“No, not her…” The young wolf replied, repressing a sob.

“Oh… I miss her too, guardian.” The ghost replied sadly, realizing that his guardian was no longer discussing her ex. A creak atop the bed behind them caused the little machine to turn, realizing that their newest roommate had awoken.

“Who do we miss?” The Ahamkara yawned, raising her arms in a stretch as she rose to her feet. “There’s no one beyond my reach.” She smiled sinisterly. “All that has been lost in the void can be retrieved if-”

“No!” Calico snapped furiously, banging her hands on the countertop causing Riven to take a step back. “I’m – I’m sorry.” She apologized softly, brushing her bangs out of her eyes. “Look, I made breakfast, I’m gonna – gonna freshen up for the day.” The titan fumbled, making her way towards the bathroom. 

The ahamkara slowly paced over to the tiny kitchen, noting two plates which had been full of foods she had never seen before. 

“She lost her fireteam – her best friend.” The ghost remarked somberly. “Be patient with her.”

“Is it not the nature of guardians to lose those they love?” Riven inquired flatly. 

“I suppose… But – usually during a loss you have the support of friends and family. Calico was left to deal with her grief all alone.”

“And where were you during this – unfortunate circumstance?” The ahamkara asked, jumping to take a seat on the countertop. 

“I’m a ghost, not a therapist.” Marcel replied frankly. “I tried to be there for her all I could, but a loss is a loss. There’s only so much you can do for a person in grief.” The ghost flew into his guardian’s backpack which was resting next to the front door, nestling inside in his best attempt to get comfortable. “Please” He pleaded softly. “Just take it easy on Calico today.”

Riven crossed her legs, turning to stare out the glass door leading to their patio. It was still early in the morning, but the sun was already shining brightly outside, it was going to be another very hot day. “Alright, little one.” She replied, before picking up a piece of toast off her plate. “What – what is this?” 

“You’ve never had toast before?” Marcel asked curiously, still nestled inside the backpack.

“I’m not used to the food of the commoners.” The faux Mara replied with disgust. “I was served only the finest of delicacies in the Dreaming City.” She remarked proudly. “Fruits and sweets from distant worlds, wines scavenged from ships older than this city itself, meats that -”

“Just try the toast!” Marcel barked with annoyance in his voice. 

The Ahamkara sniffed the bread and proceeded to take a bite, then another, and another. “It is adequate.” She commented, a mouthful of the toast still in her mouth. 

“I see you’re enjoying breakfast?” Calico asked playfully, now clad in her day-to-day armor as she made her way out of the tiny bathroom. The sunbreaker now wore a bomber jacket, pants, and a pair of boots which looked as if they were designed to help its user attempt flight. 

The false Awoken took another bite, completely finishing up the slice as she hopped off the countertop. “It’s no banquet, but it will suffice.” She replied frankly, eyeing up her host. “Thank you, guardia – Calico.” 

“Have you tried the pancakes yet?” The titan smiled, gesturing to stacks on the shorter woman’s plate. “Made the syrup myself!” 

The Ahamkara turned, noticing the translucent dispenser of syrup and proceeded to drink directly from it. “Oh, this is delightful!” Riven practically beamed, continuing to take another drink from the dispenser, much to the horror of her roommates. 

“You – um.” The titan gulped, letting out an awkward chuckle, proceeding to scratch the back of her head. “You’re supposed to pour it on the pancakes.” 

“Nonsense.” Riven replied matter-of-factly. “A beverage as pure as this must clearly only be consumed from the bottle.” She added, carrying the syrup towards her roommate. “Here, you try.” The shorter woman beamed, raising the dispenser to Calico’s lips. 

“Go on!” Marcel teased from within the backpack. “To new experiences!” 

The titan glared at the ghost peaking from his hiding spot before turning her eyes back to the shorter woman who appeared to be absolutely ecstatic. The titan groaned as Riven allowed her to take a long sip of the thick sap. 

“Drink deep.” The white-haired woman purred. “You must keep yourself nourished if you are to slay your enemies in the fires of the crucible, o warrior mine. Our bond may be eternal, but it will be refreshing to watch you prove your strength.” 

“Thanks.” The titan gagged, taking the dispenser from her roommate. “I take it that you’re gonna come watch my match?” She asked, placing the now empty syrup container on the countertop. 

“Oh, I wouldn’t miss it.” Riven smirked mischievously.

“Awesome!” Calico smiled. “Just, uh – ” The young wolf paused, realizing that while the Ahamkara was perfectly fine with wearing the taller woman’s clothing at home, she would need an entirely new wardrobe to start going out. “Here.” The sunbreaker remarked, taking her jacket off for her roommate to wear. 

Putting the jacket on, the Ahamkara twirled. “Oh, this form looks marvelous in anything.” She beamed, looking down at herself. “What do you think?” 

Riven still wore the same shirt and pants from the previous night, but now it now been paired with the guardian’s jacket. It was a simple look, but she was right. Mara Sov truly looked exquisite in anything, even with the jacket being a bit too large on the false Awoken’s rather petite frame. “You look great.” The titan grinned. “Like a true citizen of the last city, but -” Quickly scanning the room with her eyes, the taller woman found one of her old helmets sitting atop a pile of books. “You’re gonna have to wear a helmet if you go to the tower with me. Down here we can take a few more risks, but if you insist on looking like Mara then you’re going to have to cover your face up there.” She sighed. “Someone will be bound to realize something’s up for sure if they see you walking around.”

The false Awoken groaned, also noticing the bulky white and red helmet, and put it on. “Will the guardians not be more suspicious seeing a non-lightbearer wearing their gear?” 

“Eh, you’re with me.” The titan smiled. “Nobody’ll give you any trouble.” 

Riven smirked. “Oh, to see the young wolf bare her fangs. And all for me.” 

“Yeah, yeah.” Calico chuckled. “C’mon, let’s finish up breakfast, we’ve gotta go soon.”

* * *

It was the duty of a guardian to do just that, guard and protect, and in order to do so they needed to be ready at a moment’s notice. In order for this goal to be accomplished, many guardians relied on the usage of their own personal ships to traverse the stars at will. The feeling of having the universe at her fingertips was one of Calico’s greatest joys, but her ship, an Atlas Hauler to be specific, had the misfortune of having the carrying capacity of a whopping single guardian. Meaning that unless she bought another ship, she would have to share her seat with her new roommate. 

“This – this probably isn’t safe.” The sunbreaker blushed, her roommate sitting sideways atop her lap as she piloted the ship. 

“Nonsense.” Riven chuckled. “What is there to crash into up here?” She chuckled, wrapping an arm around the pilot. 

“Can’t you like – Turn into a bird or an ermine or like -”

“Are you honestly telling me.” Riven interrupted playfully. “That you would rather a bird perch upon your lap than this form?” 

The titan gulped, turning to face her friend nervously. “At least put your seatbelt on?” She asked with a blush, unbuckling the safety device so the Ahamkara could strap herself in as well.

“Oh, fine.” The shorter woman groaned with an eyeroll, now strapping herself in even closer to the guardian. “Is this better?” She teased, her face inches away from the titan’s.

“I don’t think it’s possible for me to vomit.” Marcel whined from the guardian’s backpack. “But if I could -”

“Oh, hush.” Riven interjected, watching the clouds pass by as they flew towards the tower. 

“Don’t – don’t take this the wrong way.” The young wolf began towards the woman perched atop her lap. “But – are you always this – clingy?” 

The question prompted a chuckle from the Ahamkara, as she once again returned her gaze back towards the pilot. “Before my growth spurt, and at times even after -” Riven smirked. “I essentially lived my life as Mara’s scarf. Why? Does this bother you, o friend mine?” She teased.

“Nuh – no.” The titan blushed again. “Not at all.” Calico replied, enjoying every second of having the false Awoken woman by her side. 

“Good.” Riven purred, drawing herself closer to the titan. “Because you’re going to have to get used to it.”

Gulping, the sunbreaker merely nodded and continued her route to the tower. If this was the way she was going to have to travel from now on she didn’t have any complaints.

* * *

Upon arriving at their destination, Calico’s first move was to place her spare helmet atop the shorter woman’s head. “If you want to look like Mara then that’s fine, but you CANNOT take that thing off. Especially here in the tower, and ESPECIALLY around Lord Shaxx.” 

The Ahamkara tilted her helmet-clad head, looking around as she adjusted to wearing the headwear. “Embarrassed to be seen with me?” The shorter woman teased. 

“You know why – I – hello, Shaxx!” The guardian burst, noticing the behemoth of a Titan approaching them.

“Young Wolf!” The crucible handler erupted, jogging over to squeeze the titan in a rib-crushing embrace. “And who’s this?” He asked politely, the horned helmet of the warrior turning to face the Ahamkara. 

“That is, uh… Jennifer!” Calico stammered awkwardly. Her impromptu name choice causing Riven to turn her head angrily towards her direction. 

“Ah! Jennifer!” Shaxx beamed. “Welcome to the tower, civilian!” The man welcomed the newcomer, extending a hand of friendship. 

Riven eyed the man up and down, before apprehensively taking his hand. “Thank you.”

“So!” The crucible handler continued politely. “You two are -”

“Bonded!” Riven beamed, quickly locking her arm with Calico’s. “Yes, she’s stuck with me.”

The Ahamkara’s reaction caused the shorter titan to freeze in place, desperately trying to figure what was happening. “I – we – ”

“HA!” The man chortled, slapping the shorter titan on the back so hard she practically doubled over. “Take care of this one then, Jennifer.” Shaxx laughed. “She is one of the greatest warriors I have ever had the privilege of training! I have seen her take on entire fireteams herself! But guardians? We’re team players, only together can we defeat the darkness.” He continued proudly, palming his fist. “You may not be a guardian, Jennifer. But I’m glad she has someone watching her back again.” 

It was now the Ahamkara’s turn to freeze. The entirety of her life had been spent manipulating and deceiving, tricking anyone foolish to cross her path. Every wish had a twist that could make its owner regret ever being born, but not this one. For the first time in her life, she was now forced to walk the walk and talk the talk. Friendship, a true friendship, meant unconditional love and support, and there was no way she could say anything negative without directly breaking her bond. And quite frankly, a part of her didn’t want to hurt the woman anyways. “Well – ” The false Awoken replied matter-of-factly. “I won’t be leaving her side any time soon.” 

“Excellent!” The titan burst enthusiastically. “I take it that you’re here to watch us stream your girlfriend’s crucible match then?!” The man laughed, his words causing Calico to feel a nosebleed coming on. 

“Her ferocity is why I have grown to like her so much.” Riven replied, a smile audible in her voice as she teased the taller woman. 

“Exactly the type of woman I imagined the young wolf ending up with!” Shaxx laughed. “Say -” The crucible handler paused, causing both women to tense up. “Your voice, Jennifer… Have we met before?” 

The faux Awoken reflexively clutched tighter to her friend’s arm, memories of wrapping herself tighter around Mara’s neck when she was too small and young to properly defend herself flooded back upon her. “No, I cannot say that we have.” 

Shaxx stared at shorter woman, his penetrating gaze making itself felt even through his helmet. “You’re an Awoken?” He asked, clearly noticing the blue pigmentation of her hand wrapped around Calico’s arm. 

“How deductive of you.” Riven mocked, prompting a glare from the black-haired titan. 

The man crossed his arms and sighed. “It must be difficult for you.” He remarked somberly. “The curse upon the Dreaming City that that monster has inflicted upon your people. You’re lucky to be with such a warrior! Things may have ended up much worse had Calico not slain that Ahamkara! I take it she informed you of her defeat of the beast that resided within -”

“I sure did!” Calico laughed tensely, now gently caressing her friend’s hand in an attempt to simultaneously distract her and calm her down. 

“Oh, it has been quite a while since I’ve had the pleasure of hunting down such an abomination!” Shaxx exclaimed proudly. “But your girlfriend had a much more difficult fight than what most guardians had! We typically hunted the smaller, younger -”

“Why did you guardians hunt Ahamkara?” Riven asked, using all of her willpower not to eviscerate the man on the spot.

“Oh, that’s a long story!” Calico interrupted awkwardly. “He probably doesn’t have the time for -”

“For someone so dear to the young wolf?!” Shaxx laughed. “I have all the time in the world! The crucible begins and ends at MY word!” He replied loudly, placing his hands atop his hips. “The great hunt took place because Ahamkara are manipulative creatures. Guardians sought out to use their abilities to fulfill their wildest dreams, and the wish dragons would turn their every word against them. It was only right to hunt the beasts down! They were a danger to reality itself.” The titan remarked frankly. “And your girlfriend slayed the last one! You must be so prou-”

“If the vanguard deemed the Ahamkara to be so dangerous, why not just let them be?” Riven enquired testily. “The guardians played a game of chance and then faulted the game for their loss” The false Awoken practically growled. 

“Ahamkara are cunning, Jennifer!” Shaxx replied matter-of-factly. “They were a threat even left unbothered. They were naturally malevolent beasts.”

“You can’t fault a being for her nature!” Riven replied accusingly. 

The titan sighed wearily and shook his helmeted head. “Ahamkara were sentient beings, civilian. They had the choice, they had the willpower to do the right thing, and they didn’t. An entire species hellbent on the death and -”

“Oh, I’m sure you and I will be able to talk all about this at home, right? Jennifer?” Calico interrupted nervously.

“Of course.” Riven replied tensely, tightening and then releasing her hold on the titan’s arm. “O darling mine!” She hissed, prompting Lord Shaxx to instantly stare down the false Awoken. 

“Thanks!” Calico smiled, trying her best to repress a scream. “I’m just gonna – go show her to the bar. Let her get something to drink while she watches the match!” 

“Of course, guardian! I look forward to watching you annihilate your competition as always!” The titan beamed. “And it was a pleasure to meet you, Jennifer.” Shaxx remarked with a bow of his head. “Calico is lucky to have you.” And with that the man proceeded to walk off, yelling at a redjack in the distance. 

Waiting until the crucible handler was out of sight, the titan fumed. “O darling mine?! Bonded?!” The young wolf burst angrily. “What were you thinking?!”

“Oh, my darling.” Riven chuckled, embracing the taller woman. “I cannot help but share the passion for my newfound relationship with you.” The Ahamkara laughed mischievously. “And to be clear.” Her tone becoming much more serious. “By your word, we are friends, and friends stand together through any obstacle.”

“Where is this going?” Calico questioned sternly, looking down at the woman embracing her.

“Make no mistake, o bonded mine.” Riven chuckled. “If your – vanguard, if your fellow guardians, if the entire solar system turns against you for saving my life - You will stand by me until the end.” Her embrace tightening around the guardian, causing the young wolf to feel as if she were being suffocated by a serpent. “If I go down – you will go with me. It’s only right for you to defend your friend.” 

Calico wanted to lash out against the Ahamkara, she had so desperately wanted to be angry at the woman after all that she had done for her, but deep down she knew she was right. Friends protect friends. But most importantly, she had seen right through her threat. “Riven?…” The guardian frowned. “You’re afraid, aren’t you?”

The imposter took a step back defensively. “I who have negotiated with gods? With the king of the deep? You think me to fear a lowly – ”

“You wouldn’t go to such lengths to convince me to protect you if you weren’t afraid.” The titan smiled beneath her helmet. “You don’t think I know the consequences of what I wished for?” 

“If you’re not afraid of the consequences than why do you force me to hide myself?” The Ahamkara inquired testily.

Calico sighed wearily. “I – ” She paused, taking off her helmet. “I guess, it’s because you’re right… I know the vanguard won’t like what I did, and this was just my way of postponing the inevitable.” The young wolf frowned. “I’m sorry.” 

This was now the second day in a row that the guardian had managed to take Riven by surprise. An apology was practically a foreign concept to the Ahamkara, nobody ever cared how the genie felt when all was said and done, once their wishes had been fulfilled. “So…” The shorter woman, began. “What now?”

Calico smiled sadly, staring at the helmeted woman. “This.” She replied, gently taking off the false Awoken’s headpiece. 

“What – what are you doing, Calico?” The blue-eyed woman questioned in disbelief, reflexively reaching for the helmet.

“If – if anyone asks. We’ll explain together.” The titan smiled. “And we’ll tell the vanguard what I did when my match is done.” She continued, gently lifting the shorter woman’s chin with her forefinger. “It was wrong of me to ask you to hide yourself. If this is who you want to be, then I’m here to support you.”

“You – you’re a fool!” The Ahamkara snapped. “They’ll kill us both! They’ll! - ” 

“If you haven’t noticed -” The taller woman interrupted playfully. “I’m kind of a badass. They wouldn’t dare.”

“Why – why are you doing all of this for me?” Riven asked, turning to meet the gaze of a guardian who had already come to recognize the form she had stolen. “You could simply wish all this away – no strings! You could -”

“Riven!” Calico laughed, placing her forefinger on the false Awoken’s lips. “This is just what friends do.”

Gently grabbing the titan’s hand, the Ahamkara inspected it. “Your hope. Your optimism… It will be the death of you.” 

The sunbreaker watched the shorter woman inspecting her hand, reflecting upon her companion’s words. “Maybe so.” She smiled sadly. “But I’d rather die with hope and kindness in my heart than paranoia and hate.” 

Riven turned her gaze back to the guardian’s knowing that she needed to remind the black-haired of who she was, who she really was. And while she had no intention of giving up this newfound form, the truth of the matter was that this imitation of Mara was not who she truly was. Tightly shutting and reopening her eyes, she revealed her true ones. The bright blue, pupil-less orbs now pierced into Calico’s. “Even knowing what I really am? You -”

“Like anyone would turn down being besties with a wish dragon?” Calico chuckled delightedly, gently punching her friend in the shoulder. “Who’s gonna warm up my coffee when it gets cold?” She laughed. “Now, c’mon! Let’s go get something to drink. There’s someone I want you to meet!” And gently taking hold of the Ahamkara’s hand, the unlikely duo wandered into the tower’s market district.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Years, everyone! I hope all of you had a safe day, and I hope all of you have a fantastic year! (It won't be hard to beat last year, that's for sure!) I can't wait to pester this community with a fic absolutely nobody asked for, and I hope you manage to get some enjoyment out of it in these trying times. I have plenty of ideas for this story that I want to keep going for a VERY long time. See you guys soon!


	4. The Crucible

Bars were never known for their opulence, but the Tower Bar and Grill was one of the most beautiful places in the last city. The spacious interior was nothing special, television screens streaming crucible matches all throughout the solar system were strewn all across the walls, and dining booths that were practically overflowing with guardians and tower personnel filled the air with the sounds of laughter and cheer. It was a typical sight for any bar, but what was so special about this bar in particular, was the view. The circular building’s walls were almost entirely made of glass, providing a breathtaking view of the last city below, clerestory windows and hanging patio lights helped to illuminate the structure with the perfect combination of both natural and artificial light. 

“You’re dropping me off…” Riven groaned with disgust. “At a bar?” She asked, watching a hunter practically bump into her friend in a drunken stupor. 

“Food’s great, view’s great, you’ll be able to watch my match, and I guarantee you’ll enjoy the company.” The titan smiled, guiding her shorter friend to the front of the establishment. “Or well, at the very least you’ll be able to end the afternoon without wanting to kill her.” 

“And who exactly – ” The false Awoken inquired, watching a frame in an apron approach them. “Do you expect to babysit ME?”

“Her name’s Eva Lavante.” Calico grinned, waving to the frame. “She’s basically the tower grandma. She’s one of the kindest people you’ll ever meet, and I know she won’t judge for… Well, you know.” The titan chuckled awkwardly, noticing one of the bar’s hosts coming to welcome them.

“Greetings guardian!” A frame chirped, approaching the two women who now stood at the front of the bar. “Table for two?” 

“Nah.” Calico smiled. “We’re meeting someone, thanks.” She added with a wave, proceeding to guide the Ahamkara farther into the building. 

“Do all grandmothers customarily occupy their time in establishments like… this?” Riven groaned, nearly bumping shoulders into a pair of guardians loitering around. 

“Truth be told.” The taller woman chuckled nervously. “I’m not even sure if she’s here. I just have my suspicions -”

“Predicated on?” Riven inquired, noting that her companion was now scanning the bar. 

“Just – There she is!” The titan laughed. “C’mon!” She replied, gently placing her hand behind the Mara lookalike’s back, guiding her to Eva’s booth which sat in the corner of the bar.

The older woman gently took a sip of a glass of lemonade. Her eyes brightening upon the sight of the young wolf. “Oh, guardian!” She cheered, standing up to greet the titan. “I’m so glad you’re finally out in the world again! Do you have any idea how worried we’ve been about -” Before she could finish, she noted the shorter woman by her side, a look of apprehension now beginning to grow on her face. “Mara?” She asked with a trace of fear.

“No – no.” The titan replied softly. “Eva, this is Riven.” She continued with a sad smile, placing a hand atop the Ahamkara’s shoulder. “She’s my friend.”

The gray-haired woman swapped glances between the two women standing before her and smiled, embracing the shorter woman in a hug. “What a lovely name.” Eva replied tenderly. “I know you’ve probably heard what I’m thinking a thousand times already so I’ll spare you the commentary.” She chuckled endearingly towards Riven, clearly referencing her resemblance to the Awoken queen. “But if it’s no bother, would you mind if I asked how you two met?” 

“We, uh… I rescued her! From a tower – in – in the Dreaming City!” Calico chuckled, nervously scratching the back of her head. 

“The knight in shining armor saving the princess from a tower?” Eva laughed warmly. “That will make quite the story. The only thing you’re missing is a dragon.” She remarked with a twinkle in her eye as she took a seat back in her booth, gesturing for the other two women to join her.

“See – funny thing.” The titan replied quietly, ushering Riven into the booth for the three of them to sit down. “She - ”

“I know of your ‘raid’ in the Dreaming City last week.” The older woman interrupted with a smile, taking a sip of her lemonade. “I know of what secret the Awoken had concealed in their vault, and I have heard tales of the abilities of the one who was hidden inside.” She clasped her hands together. “I think I can put two and two together, my dear.”

“Geesh.” The sunbreaker gulped, her eyes widening. “Word really does get around quick up here.”

“And I know that’s one of the many reasons why you avoid this place altogether.” The kindly woman smiled sadly. “But the judgment you seek to hide from will not be found here, titan.” She smiled, reaching over to place a hand on the guardian’s shoulder. “It’s been so very long since I’ve seen you spending time with someone.” She frowned, tears beginning to swell in her eyes. “Your poor ghost has been so worried, I – ” Eva paused, meeting the guardian’s eyes. “You are a good woman, and I’m glad you’re finding happiness – After all you’ve done for us, you deserve some peace of -”

“I don’t mean to interrupt this – heartfelt monologue.” Riven sighed exasperatedly. “But do you not have somewhere to be, o warrior mine?” She questioned the titan flatly, brushing the taller woman’s messy bangs out of her face. 

“Oh, shit!” The sunbreaker erupted, hurrying to her feet. “Will you two be alright? I can -”

“Go, guardian!” Eva laughed. “I will keep your friend company! Go! And good luck!” 

“We are bonded now.” Riven snickered towards the titan. “Slay and fight in my name. Your successes are mine.” 

Calico furrowed her eyebrows with a sigh, summoning Marcel into her hand as she waved the two off.

“So – ” Eva chuckled, taking a sip of her lemonade, watching the Ahamkara awkwardly shifting in the booth. “How did all of this happen?”

“Your young wolf and her fireteam were sent to murder me.” Riven hissed, her bright blue eyes piercing into the older woman’s. “Clearly, she had intentions of her own.”

“So… She wished for you to escape then?” Eva asked quizzically, her confusion easily visible on her face. 

“No. She wished for a friend.” Riven replied frankly, no trace of humor in her voice.

“And what was the catch?” 

“I was the friend.” The Ahamkara chuckled defeatedly. “Clever, clever girl.” 

“So, now you HAVE to behave yourself.” Eva teased. “Because if you don’t then you would be in direct violation of your bargain.”

“You catch on quickly.” The blue-eyed woman smiled mischievously. “For a mortal.”

“And why this form, dear?” Eva questioned curiously. “Do you have any idea how many problems you two will face as a result?” 

“I know how she feels about this form – ” The Ahamkara replied shyly. “I enjoy it.”

A sly smile grew upon Eva’s face as she began to stir her straw in the lemonade. “Now that is certainly unexpected.” The woman smiled. Living in the tower for so long, the gray-haired woman had become invested in the lives of many a guardian. She had earned the title of ‘tower grandma’ for a reason after all. And it was with great amusement that she had come to realize that someone, or more specifically, an Ahamkara, had potentially begun to grow feelings for one of her surrogate granddaughters. 

“It is my turn for questions now.” Riven remarked sternly, her body language awkward and unreadable. “Why are – ”

Interrupting their discussion, a frame programmed to wait tables placed another lemonade on the table for Eva. “Can I get you two anything else?” The robot chirped. “A drink for you, Ms.?” It inquired, turning its head to face the Ahamkara.

“A glass of your finest syrup.” Riven demanded, using the voice she had so often heard Mara use when ordering around her servants. 

The robot froze in place, attempting to discern whether or not it had properly heard the woman correctly. “I beg your pardon, Ms.?” It asked, lowering its head closer to the woman to ensure that its auditory sensors had heard her correctly. 

“Syrup.” The white-haired woman hissed. “I believe the type I had earlier was Mable.”

Eva watched the frame turn towards her direction in a nonverbal plea for assistance. “She’ll take a cola, dear. Thank you.” 

“Affirmative.” The robot nodded, writing down the order in a small writing pad before wandering off. 

Riven scoffed at the encounter, once again turning her emotionless stare back to the woman at her booth. “Why are you here?” 

“Do you mean this philosophically or literally?” Eva teased, quickly turning her gaze to one of the television screens. 

“The guardian knew you would be here. Is this some form of precognition she has mastered?” The Ahamkara inquired flatly. 

“Oh, my dear Calico.” The woman smiled sadly. “The young wolf is one of the greatest crucible champions we’ve ever had. When she fights, it makes the headlines. She knew I’d come here to watch her match.”

“You revel in the bloodshed of battle?” Riven snickered, projecting her own emotions onto the woman sitting across from her.

“No.” Eva frowned sadly. “This is just the only way I ever get to see her anymore, she stopped visiting after she lost – ”

“What happened to her team exactly?” Riven asked, slowly leaning onto the table, unable to hide her curiosity. 

“Another time, dear.” Eva replied, pointing to the television screens around them, the cameras recording the match now slowly rotating itself around Calico’s face. “The match is going to begin.”

* * *

Calico sighed exasperatedly, watching the small camera drone circling around her team. Shaxx had decided that the match was to be set on Bannerfall, a tower commonly used for crucible matches, and a personal favorite of the young wolf. The three versus three elimination match that had been arranged for her, however, was one that the guardian had particularly come to loathe. Lord Shaxx insisted that the games were always meant to be fair, yet he would incessantly match guardians of unequal skill against each other. Now, the young wolf had the confidence to hold her own against a fireteam all by herself, but as she had trained there was nothing more disappointing than her entire fireteam getting knocked out less than a minute into the battle. Their fight would be three rounds, meaning that either team was only allowed one slip up, and Calico desperately wanted to ensure that she wouldn’t reach that point. 

The two hunters beside her cheered, manifesting the holographic images of two electrical guitars which they had used to goad the enemy team before them. “The Sparky Twins” they were called. A stupid moniker, aptly fitting its users. Calico had already forgotten the individual names of her newly acquainted teammates, but she knew she’d never see them again, and judging by their arrogance she didn’t care too anyways. She did know her competition, however, Nicole, Nathan, and Neeku-33, a huntress, warlock, and titan respectively, a fireteam self-designated as “N Cubed.” Calico had always found the latter two members to have been obnoxious. Prime examples of what happened when you late fame get to your head, but it was Nicole who she had a personal problem with. 

The young wolf had spent the entirety of her life trying to be the hero the universe deserved. Optimistic, compassionate, a hero so full of love for life and humanity that nothing could tempt her to darkness, but she was still human. Her breakup with the huntress had been messy, and while the titan tried to be the best person she could be, she couldn’t resist the urge to take her former girlfriend down a peg. 

As the drones distanced themselves from the two teams, Lord Shaxx called for the teams to transmat to their positions. The match had officially begun.

* * *

“Alright!” Cal shouted towards her teammates who had both started their charge towards the center of the map. “Whatever you do, do not, I repeat DO NOT poke your head out of cover! Nicole’s one of the best snipers in -”

“Oh, whatever, wolfie.” The young hunter spat, blowing a raspberry as he quickly slid behind a tree stump. “See?” He laughed, now poking his head out from behind the stump. “I – ” Before the hunter could even finish his sentence he was interrupted by the loud cracking sound of a sniper penetrating though his helmeted skull.

“Ooh!” Lord Shaxx shouted enthusiastically though the tower’s PA system. “One down, guardians! That has to hurt!”

Calico, quickly realizing that it had not even been a full forty-five seconds into the match, took a deep sigh. 

“The hell are we supposed to do now?” The other hunter asked angrily, now blaming the titan for his brother’s own stupidity, watching the sunbreaker run back to their spawn point.

“We hunker down and make them come to us.” Calico groaned, inspecting her Luna’s Howl, one of her favored weapons in combat against other guardians. 

Jumping up onto a high ledge to her left, the young wolf knew she needed to take out Nicole first. Not just because it would grant her great pleasure, but because she knew she’d be unable to take out the huntress’s companions while the sniper covered them. 

“What – what’re you doing?” The hunter panicked, observing that his radar had begun to signal the approach of two enemy markers. 

The titan scanned the other ledge opposite her team’s side of the map and took a leap of faith. It was the perfect sniper position, and while there was no sign of Nicole there YET, she knew she would be unable to resist the urge to nest. Pulling out a fusion grenade, the black-haired titan tossed it. The explosive flew to the other side of the map, quickly landing on the huntress who had happened to hop atop the ledge at the exact moment of the grenade’s arrival. 

A loud “Fuck” could be heard in the distance as the huntress exploded into a burst of flames, sending both Shaxx and the young wolf into their own explosions of laughter. 

“Tactical thinking like that is what won us the Battle of the Twilight Gap, guardian!” The crucible handler boomed. “Nicely done!” 

Turning her gaze downwards to her teammate, Calico watched the hunter ready his shotgun. “They’ll never see me here.” The guardian snickered, hiding behind a large box. “When they run through the central corridor I’ll kill the first one and you – ”

“We can hear you, jackass.” Nathan’s voice called. The pretentious warlock now tossing his own grenade directly at the crate which the hunter had been using as cover. Turning to stare at Calico in horror, the hunter froze up, and promptly exploded. 

The remaining two members of fireteam N Cubed, realizing their advantage pressed forward in an attempt to overwhelm the titan. Seizing upon the fact that she had the high ground, Calico instantly proceeded to take out the rival titan, Neeku-33, with three quick bursts of her pistol before taking cover. 

Nathan quickly rushed through the doorway, sliding behind the box in which he had defeated the obnoxious hunter. “Come fight me, coward!” The warlock laughed heartily. “Is this really how the ‘the young wolf’ fights? Only from the shelter of – FUCK!” The man burst, watching the titan quickly jumping down from the ledge to kill him. 

The man moved from behind his own cover to fire at the titan, only to realize that it had been a huge mistake. A solar hammer had been thrown his way, and it was only with great swiftness that he was able to dodge the weapon, narrowly escaping a broken jaw. “You missed!” He laughed, firing at the charging titan. “Now you – ” But he had overestimated the distance between them, and Calico had gained enough momentum to charge at him with a force so great that he flung back into the wall, immediately breaking his spinal cord. 

“Round one goes to the young wolf and The Sparky Twins!” Shaxx burst, unable to restrain his excitement. Having the ghosts revive all of the fallen guardians and transmatting them back to their starting positions, it was time for the second round to begin. 

The titan and the twin hunters once again spawned into battle, reflexively charging towards their enemy. 

“We did it, we fucking did it!” One of the hunters laughed enthusiastically, prompting a groan from the titan.

“Yeah, yeah.” The sunbreaker sighed. “Look, we caught em’ off guard in the last round, we NEED to carry that momentum for this one! I’ll charge in and you two cover me, got it?” 

“Right!” The twins prompted in unison, following the young wolf as she led the charge. 

The enemy trio had taken cover on their own side of the map now, and it was essential to keep their synergy if they were to shake the opposition out. Fireteam N Cubed positioned themselves atop the bridge that sat at the edge of the map, all taking cover behind Neeku’s rally barricade. It would have been the perfect team-wipe. All the sparky twins had to do was throw their arc grenades to smoke out their opposition, then finish them off with a few quick shots, but there was one slight hitch, the twins had immediately dispersed for no apparent reason, leaving the titan charging out in the open all by herself. 

“Oh, sweet business.” Chuckled the robotic voice of the enemy titan as he pulled out his minigun, now shredding into the young wolf with a hail of gunfire. Calico fell to the floor with a thud, quickly using all of her strength in an attempt to locate her teammates, her anger the only thing keeping her alive this long. In the end it was no matter, their fight would be futile, and the round would inevitably go to her rivals. 

Calico awoke to the laughter of Lord Shaxx. “Oh, that was brutal!” The man laughed boisterously. “It looks like the Sparky Twin’s lights have been snuffed! But the match isn’t over yet, guardians! This one is for the game!” 

The trio spawned in, the two hunters instantly charging forward without the titan. “Hey!” The young wolf snapped, causing the hunters to freeze in their tracks. “What the fuck was that all about? Where were you guys?!” 

“They were behind cover! It was pointless!” One of the brothers snapped defensively. “We had to -”

“We could have smoked them out EASILY, you IDIOTS!” The titan snapped furiously, internally berating herself for the fact that she had lost so much of her patience for less experienced guardians over the years. “Look, this one’s for the game.” She remarked, softening her tone. “We stick together no matter what, alright?” 

The two hunters swapped glances and nodded. “Right!” They once again shouted in unison, waiting for the titan to lead the way. Knowing that they would have to mix up their strategy, Calico led her team through the left side of the map, straight through a tight corridor. It was a high-risk/high-reward play. If they were caught, they’d be fish in a barrel, but if they succeeded, they had the potential to catch the enemy team off guard. The brown-eyed woman pulled out her fusion rifle and charged into the corridor. 

Unfortunately, the enemy team already had the same idea, and the rival titan had just made his way into the hall. It was with great luck, however, that Calico had had the perfect opening for a shot, or she would have, had one of the twins decided not to jump right in front of her in an attempt to get a clearer shot as she took her own. 

The sparky brother disintegrated into a pile of ashes before her eyes, his brother freezing in shock as he watched the accident play out before him. 

Neeku laughed hysterically, throwing a suppression grenade at the surviving brother. “They’re over here!” The exo shouted, his voice raspy and deep. 

Calico knew the fate of her Shaxx designated companion the moment she saw the grenade fly, and she knew she had to escape. Bolting for their initial entryway, however, she realized that she had been surrounded. Nathan was now the only thing standing between her and escape from this trap. Charging as fast as she could, she bolted towards the warlock, an audible “Not again!” escaping his lips as she once again proceeded to smash into him with such force that his ribs cracked upon impact.

Shaking herself off, the sunbreaker proceeded to run, a sniper shot narrowly missing her head as she did so. 

“Losing fireteams is just your thing isn’t it?” Nicole shouted with a laugh. “Guess I really dodged a bullet there, didn’t I?” She snapped, firing another shot at her ex as she signaled for Neeku to ambush the lone titan who was now taking cover behind a large pillar.

“Is now really the time for this?!” Calico barked. 

“Ask Neeku.” The huntress quipped with a grin, watching as her companion snuck around the column, punching Calico so hard in the face that she flew to the ground. Seeing an opportunity to take her shot, the sniper zoomed through her scope, but quickly had to abandon her position to avoid the solar hammer that had been thrown in her direction. 

“You ain’t shit!” The exo titan burst with a laugh, lunging atop the young wolf. “Wonder what fancy nickname I’ll get for beating your ass?” He smiled beneath his helmet smugly, still straddling the sunbreaker. “Maybe… Wolvesbane? Oh, I like that!” He continued, summoning a shield of void in an attempt to decapitate his prey. 

“Cool name, cool name.” The shorter titan chuckled softly. “There’s just one little problem…”

“Oh?” The exo grinned sinisterly, his shield raised, ready to kill the woman in one final swoop. “And what’s that?”

Quickly summoning one last fusion grenade, the sunbreaker tossed it at her assailant’s shield, the grenade now clinging to the void disc. “You’ve got something on your – right there! See? I?” 

“Oh, dammit!” Neeku burst, tossing his shield as quickly as possible in order to avoid the imminent explosion. Seizing her one moment of opportunity, Calico used all of her force to push the exo backwards as he tossed his shield. The opposing titan fell back, allowing Calico the opportunity to pounce. 

With a forceful lunge, the young wolf quickly reached for the exo’s neck, desperately trying to crush it, but he managed to toss her back to the floor, the two now rolling on the ground in a desperate attempt to get the upper hand. 

“Neeku, get the fuck up and I’ll take her out right now!” Nicole hissed, the sniper now back atop her perch. 

“I’ve got this, Nicole!” The exo hissed. “You just sit there and look – ” The crack of a gunshot filled the air. The exo was dead, a hole cut clear through the cyborg’s cranial circuitry as his lifeless corpse lay atop the shorter titan below him.

“If someone’s gonna kill you it’s gonna be me!” The hunter snapped viciously, jumping down from her vantage point. 

Calico realized that she had the strength to push the exo’s body off, it would have been easy, but she had one last trick up her sleeve, and it required the use of the fallen guardian’s remains. It was entirely predicated on the huntress’s hatred for her, which was exactly why the young wolf was willing to take the chance. 

“Guardian of guardians.” Nicole huffed angrily, reaching for her sidearm to finish off her ex. “You couldn’t protect your best friend, it took the traveler’s intervention to stop Ghaul, and you couldn’t even – ”

“I’m sorry – really – I am.” The sunbreaker feigned exhaustion, waiting for the hunter to draw closer. “Let’s talk about it – In private, yeah?” She asked, staring at the camera drone which flew overhead, just far enough to avoid overhearing their conversation. “Like, when thousands of people aren’t watching us?” 

“Fine.” The hunter scoffed from only a few feet away, raising her sidearm to the titan’s head. “Let’s just finish this game up then?” 

“Sounds good to me!” Calico replied, now tossing the body of the exo towards her ex, sending the shorter woman careening to the floor. Quickly getting back to her feet, the titan chuckled and redrew her Luna’s Howl. The bitter huntress glared at the sunbreaker standing over her as she helplessly tried to push her companion’s body off. “I really want to be petty about this.” The young wolf sighed, a sad smile now on her face. “But I’m not lowering myself to your level.” And with one final shot, the young wolf had won the match.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's a lil something to try to help distract from the PAIN of everything going on right now.
> 
> Stay safe, stay inside, and I'll see you soon!


	5. Evening Chats and All of That

Fueled by the high of her adrenaline and euphoria for winning her first match, the titan was unable to resist Shaxx’s offers to place her in a set of rumble matches, and it wasn’t until late in the evening that the titan had returned back to the bar to retrieve her friend. Winning nearly every match, the hero of the red war had had a very successful day, and the cheers and greetings from her fellow guardians were proof enough that she had done very well. 

Riven eagerly watched as the sunbreaker made her way through the front entrance, a small group of guardians stopping her in her tracks to congratulate her. “I knew she’d be happier here.” The Ahamkara smiled, reaching for one of the several, half-finished cups of cola on the table.

“She’s not.” Eva frowned in response, watching the titan as she smiled at the crowd before her. 

“Nonsense.” The false Awoken grinned, watching her companion laugh amidst the crowd. “Look at her! How she has sharpened her teeth in the forge of battle, how she revels in the adulation of her equals. This is where she belongs, not some – ”

“Everybody likes to be congratulated on a job well done, dear.” Eva replied frankly, trying to discern what emotions the Ahamkara felt as she watched her roommate signing an autograph. “But fans aren’t friends.”

“I’ve yet to meet a guardian who didn’t have some sort of wish for success.” Riven remarked as she watched the titan now making her way towards their booth. 

“Success takes many forms, dear.” The kind-hearted woman commented softly, taking the white-haired woman’s hands in her own from across the table. “Success for one person might mean being famous, for another it might mean becoming rich. But Calico? I’m sure she just wants some peace of mind.” 

The Ahamkara’s stare had been blank, but now, clearly making some sort of realization, a grin began to grow on her face. “How interest-”

“And no.” Eva chuckled. “Inner peace is not something you can just wish for.”

“I’ll give her what she wants, and then I can finally be freed of this infernal bond.” Riven hissed, withdrawing her hands from the human’s. Noticing that the titan had been intercepted by yet another group of fans who had begun to swarm her. 

“We were here for a few hours.” The gray-haired woman laughed. “There’s nothing keeping you from getting up and leaving.” She sighed, looking at the table which had come to be filled with empty plates and cups as the Ahamkara devoured practically everything she could get her hands on. 

“Our bond keeps us together.” Riven sighed wearily. “I have to stay by her side, it - ”

“Friendships are not limited by distance!” Eva smiled with a shake of her head. “You could go back to the Dreaming City and still be a good friend provided that you were there for Calico when she needed you. I think you just have nowhere you’d rather be than – ”

“Nonsense.” Riven snapped, her expression and tone filled with frustration. “I – ”

“Then go!” Eva burst playfully, recognizing the conflict on the false Awoken’s face. The woman had been on many adventures over the course of her lifetime, and she had met many people. Each relationship was an experience, and each adventure a lesson, and now, she recognized that for what might be the first time in her life, Riven was now on her own. The wish-granter was out of her comfort zone, in unfamiliar territory, and like all those experiencing something for the first time, was unsure of whether she wanted more or not. 

The Ahamkara bit her lip, staring at the titan before turning her view to the traveler in the distance. It would have been so easy to just fly away. There were countless forms she could have taken to escape, and even more exotic lands to take shelter in after she had fled, but something inside her had caused her to anchor. She had managed to fool so many gods, twist the ideas of so many warriors of light, and now, for the first time in her life, she had met someone who had truly wanted nothing at all. She was an anomaly, and she needed to know where this road alongside the young wolf would take her. No, she wasn’t going anywhere, whether she wanted to admit it or not. 

“Hey, you guys!” Calico burst sadly, taking a seat next to Riven in their booth. “Sorry I got caught up, I -”

“You can make it up to me this weekend.” Eva teased. “I have been planning a surprise birthday party for Zavala this weekend, and it would mean the world to me if you showed up.” The older woman pleaded, clasping her hands together. “He’s been so very stressed lately and seeing you there would surely lift his spirits.”

“I don’t say much.” The sunbreaker chuckled nervously. “I’m sure there are plenty of other guardians AND non-guardians who are much better party guests than me.” The titan smiled sadly, blushing as the Mara lookalike began to nuzzle herself into her shoulder. 

“Your presence will say enough, guardian.” The older woman smiled. “Will you come?” She questioned enthusiastically. 

“Let’s see if I even survive until this weekend.” Calico scoffed, turning her gaze towards the Ahamkara. “We sort of planned on telling the vanguard the truth of what really happened, and - ”

“And when Zavala finds out what she did, he will kill us.” Marcel interrupted testily, phasing out of the guardian’s backpack to glare at the white-haired woman. 

“You act as if your guardian isn’t one of the greatest warriors of all time.” Riven snickered, her eyes closed in pleasure. “It’s as if you think that she’s not used to cutting down other lightbearers like chaff in a -”

“That’s enough of that.” Calico snarked, gently covering the shorter woman’s mouth with her hand. “The crucible is one thing – actually fighting other guardians for survival, ESPECIALLY the vanguard, would be something else entire - ow!” The young wolf yelped, quickly withdrawing her hand after being bitten by the Ahamkara who now smiled at her smugly. 

“It would never come to that.” Eva replied sadly, watching the bizarre scene play out before her. 

“Fine, fine.” Calico sighed exasperatedly, glaring at the woman still resting on her shoulder. “If we aren’t banished tonight then we’ll go to the party, alright?” 

“Excellent.” Eva beamed, standing up from the table and reaching into her pocket for the glimmer to pay for the numerous drinks and snacks the ravenous Ahamkara had feasted on these past few hours. 

“Ah, ah, ah!” Calico chuckled, gently shooing the older woman away. “I’ve got the tab, you go home, it’s getting late. Thank you again for keeping her company.” The titan smiled, watching the false Awoken wiggling her fingers goodbye towards the gray-haired woman.

“I’ll see you on Saturday, six o clock! Wear something nice.” Eva smiled, waving the unlikely friends goodbye. “I’m sure you’ll feel good being in something other than your pajamas or a set of armor for once!” 

Watching the woman walk away, Riven sighed. “Oh, I thought she’d never leave!” The shorter woman burst in what was almost a moan, gently tracing circles on the titan’s chest. 

“Hey, watch it!” Calico frowned, a look of disappointment on her face. “Eva’s a kind lady, you can’t just -”

“All these rules are insufferable, guardian.” The Ahamkara groaned with a roll of her eyes, watching Marcel fly back into his guardian’s pack. “You’re the guardian of guardians, you can do or say whatever you want.” 

The sunbreaker rubbed her temples, noting how beautiful the lighting was at this time of the evening. The soft, ethereal glow of the city lights shining in the distance helped to illuminate the bar. The night had just begun to make her presence felt, the sky a dark shade of purple, the stars beginning to twinkle brightly on this cloudless evening. It was moments like this that truly did make the titan wish that she had remained up here with her fellow guardians, or at the very least, came to visit more often. “No title makes you superior to another person. It doesn’t matter if you’re the head of the vanguard or – ” The black-haired woman scanned the room, searching for the right words. “Or if you’re just a frame in the tower who’s destined to sweep all day. You HAVE to treat those like you with respect.”

Riven withdrew her head from her friend’s shoulder and groaned. “Your schmaltz is unbearable.”

“Uh, beg pardon? That some sort of hive slur or something?” Calico laughed, waving down a frame to request a cup of coffee before returning her gaze back towards the Ahamkara, the hanging lights of the bar glistening in her sky-blue eyes.

“Oh, look it up in one of your books.” Riven chuckled. “See? You do not deserve this slander from me, guardian.” The white-haired woman grinned sinisterly. “You could be so much more than I. I have seen you fight, I have seen you kill! If you pledged to the sword logic I could grant you a throne world greater than Mara Sov! Greater than Oryx! I could make you a god! I – ”

“Take it easy!” Calico chuckled, snatching one of the half-finished colas atop the table and taking a sip. “First of all, god or not, it’s still not okay to just be an asshole to people. Secondly – Oh, are those pretzels?!” The titan beamed, quickly reaching for a handful of the treats atop the table and shoving them into her mouth. “Where was I?” Calico inquired, chewing on the snacks. “Oh, yeah! I’m never wishing to be a god or wishing for infinite power or whatever!” She continued, watching her friend stare at her with annoyance. “If there’s one thing I’ve learned about reaching the top, it’s that you’ve got to give up a lot to get there, and you have to give up even more to keep hold of it.” Calico quickly reached for another drink of cola to help wash down the salty pretzels. “Besides, I’m not the most mentally stable gal to begin with -” She started awkwardly with a laugh, scratching the back of her messy black hair. “I am definitely NOT god material.”

“If there’s one thing I learned from all those mythology books we read last year…” Marcel chimed from his guardian’s backpack. “It’s that I’m pretty sure that would make you the perfect god.” 

“Yeah, yeah. You’re right.” The sunbreaker laughed. “They were all pretty fucked up.” 

“You must have SOME desire.” Riven sighed, looking towards the guardian with exhaustion. “Just one wish.” 

Quickly taking a glance of the city behind her, Calico frowned. “Do you know why I think it’s me that’s the guardian of guardians and not someone else?” 

“Your combat prowess, obviously.” Riven cooed, once again placing her head atop the taller woman’s shoulder. “Your cunning, and strength, and -”

“No no no.” The titan smiled sadly, now turning her gaze towards the rest of the bar. “I’m definitely not the strongest. I’m pretty sure half of the titans in this joint could easily beat me in an arm-wrestling competition.” She chuckled. “I’m definitely not the smartest. I was revived as a titan, not a warlock, for a reason. Like, if The Nine or some Hive god ever shows up, says that the fate of the universe comes down to me answering a riddle? The universe is fucked.” Calico laughed heartily. 

“Besides degrading yourself, what purpose does this speech have?” Riven inquired as her friend accepted her cup of coffee from the waiter-bot who had returned with her drink.

“The point I’m trying to make is -” Calico paused, taking a sip of her coffee. “Is that I’m not the best at well… anything.” She continued somberly, the grin on her face now dissipating. “I’ve never fit in, anywhere. Not here, not in the last city, not with the other titans or warlocks or whoever. I don’t – ” The titan sighed once again, looking at the life revolving around her and their booth. “Everyone here has a dream… a wish.” Calico grinned sadly, brushing her bangs out of her face. 

“So, I’m wasting my time with the one guardian who refuses to wish for anything?” Riven teased playfully, stealing the cup of her friend’s coffee and taking a sip.

“You’ll definitely have better luck getting wishes from someone else, that’s for sure.” The titan laughed. “But what I’m saying is – Every person here in the last city has hopes and dreams and passions!” She continued with a gleam in her eye. “Maybe it’s to be the greatest guardian of all time, or to teach the next generation, or maybe it’s just to survive to the see tomorrow, whatever! Everyone has something, and that? That’s worth fighting to protect. That’s why I think I’ve been able to do all I’ve done… Because my only driving purpose in life has been to protect them. So, yeah. I may not be able to unravel the mysteries of the universe like the warlocks, or headbutt a kell to death, but – but every fiber of my being is dedicated to making sure that they’re able to continue doing so.”

“You know…” Riven replied somberly, no trace of mockery in her voice. “Whatever wish you have… All you need is – ”

“That’s the thing.” Calico frowned. “I just never had that. I’ve never had some ‘big dream.’ All of my life it was really just me against the world, until – until I met my fireteam… ” The titan sighed.

This had been the first serious conversation about the loss of her fireteam that she had ever had, and Marcel couldn’t resist listening in. A part of the ghost had become saddened that the first person she was opening up to wasn’t even a person at all, but a wish-dragon. But he ignored the feeling, for above all else, he was just glad that the woman was finally opening up at all.

“When I met my fireteam, my purpose became keeping her – them – alive.” Calico continued, wiping her eyes with her forearm. “So when I lost her, I – ” The titan repressed a sob, quickly averting her gaze to the beautiful view of the city behind them. “This place. These people’s hopes and dreams. That’s what I fight for.” The titan sighed. “My dream, my only wish… would probably be to keep these people’s hopes and dreams alive. Humanity deserves that chance, and if I have to die my final death for that cause then so be it. I may not deserve to be here, but they do.”

The Ahamkara stared at the titan with a feeling of both wonder and awe. The power of the wish-granting dragons was remarkable. The celestial beasts possessed the knowledge to answer the questions one hadn’t even known to ask. Riven, unable to restrain her curiosity, carved a small patch of fabric made from the seams of reality itself, an ontological sandbox shaped to her own desire and played out the scenario. How, she wondered, would the universe alter if the guardian had obtained her wish? And how else, she wondered, could this wish turn against her? Watching the scenarios play out, quadrillions of hypotheticals taking place before her eyes, a technique she had learned from the Vex, Riven watched what would transpire if the guardian had actually requested for her wish to be granted. 

It only took a matter of seconds for every scenario to play out, and it ended with a result that shocked even her. Twice now, this young wolf had taken her by surprise, twice, she had managed to find a loophole in her own ontological manipulation of the cosmos. Riven stared at the woman beside her with a combination of both fear and pride with a sudden realization: the Ahamkara couldn’t grant a wish that was already going to come true. The worst twist of the wish would be the young wolf’s final death, but the melancholy titan had not only anticipated this result but welcomed it with open arms. A trick was not successful if you knew that it was going to occur.

Riven couldn’t manipulate the universe to bend into a shape it already possessed. Wishing for the sky to turn blue on a clear and sunny day was pointless, it was a waste of a wish, for the titan had already possessed the key to making her own desire become a reality. This woman was an enigma, an outlier, and an outsider in every single way, and yet she, so disconnected from her fellow guardians, would have died a thousand times over to protect those who had never had the privilege of even making her acquaintance. 

The false Mara Sov’s expression softened, a genuine smile now growing on her face. Her thoughts turned towards her earlier conversation with Eva Lavante, she knew now that the woman was right. Maybe it was due to her curiosity, her desire to understand how someone so straightforward managed to be such an enigma, maybe it was her own loneliness after suffering the loss of everyone she had ever known, or maybe it was another feeling, a feeling that she had yet to name now beginning to brew inside of her. Whatever the reason, Eva was right, and Riven knew full well that she was right where she wanted to be.


	6. The Kids

By the time the two women had left the bar, the stars had made their presence known. It was a beautiful, cloudless night, and it was with this realization that Calico had decided that she wanted to stargaze. The vanguard could wait one more day to hear the truth behind what she had done.

Riven clutched onto the taller woman’s arm as they made their way through the tower, both ignoring the occasional stares of curiosity upon the sight of what looked like Mara Sov strolling through the last city for a late-night stroll. “What cesspool are you dragging me too now?” The Ahamkara goaded. “A brothel? 

“No.” The titan responded flatly, turning her head to the stars up above. “There’s this little courtyard I always loved coming to up here that -”

“It’s nowhere near as romantic as she makes it sound.” Interrupted a bitter voice emanating from a darkened alley towards their left. “Y’know, she used to bring me here all the time too.” The voice scoffed angrily, clearly now addressing Calico’s shorter companion.

“Are you fucking stalking me?” The sunbreaker groaned, watching as her ex made her way out of the shadows. 

“Stalking?” The huntress scoffed, throwing off her hood, the woman’s amber colored eyes glaring at the titan’s with a look that could kill. Her snow-white armor practically glowed in the moonlight, its intricate golden detailings clearly indicating that it had been bestowed upon her by a certain banished Cabal emperor. “We just wanted to congratulate you on your victory earlier!” The auburn-haired woman remarked sardonically. “You managed to beat us even with those pathetic hunters weighing you down!” 

“We?” Calico questioned frustratedly, watching as two more figures had made their way out of the darkness of the alley. 

“Like we wouldn’t want to congratulate our old friend!” Nathan scoffed, now standing beside Nicole. The metallic wings of his robe combined with his handsome looks had earned the warlock the nickname “the angel of light” among many of his fans throughout the last city, and a small part of Calico had hoped this situation would escalate so she could tear them off with her bare hands.

“Hey, man. How’s your back?” The titan replied smugly, referring to her victory over the pretentious guardian earlier in the day.

The warlock groaned, but before he could even start, he was interrupted by the hulking titan who had now taken side by Nicole as well. “Little bitch has been whining about it all day.” Neeku-33’s deep voice quipped dryly, his horned helmet making him look like an enormous bull. 

“What do you want?” Calico replied with frustration in her voice, desperately wishing she could tell her companion to run away in case things went sideways, more for the safety of her assailants than herself. 

N Cubed, seemingly reading the titan’s mind, realized that Calico was with a friend. A friend who happened to look exactly like the late Awoken queen, Mara Sov. 

“Well, well, what have we here?” Nicole chuckled, slowly drawing closer to the Awoken imposter, her hand now clutching the knife holstered onto her waist. 

“Everyone knows of what you’ve done in the Dreaming City!” Nathan hissed, glaring at the black-haired titan. “You killed an Ahamkara, but nobody does so without making a wish. What did you -”

“You wish for a girlfriend or somethin’?” The exo inquired interrupting his friend’s interrogation as he slowly made his way around the shorter titan. “She’s real damned pretty. Could say she looks like royalty.” He chuckled sinisterly. 

Calico watched as the trio had slowly begun to surround them, wrapping her arm around the Ahamkara and drawing her closer. “If you want to fight -” The black-haired titan started. “Then -”

“Oh, we don’t want to fight!” Nicole snickered, now folding her arms. “We’re here to warn you.” The amber-eyed woman grinned malevolently. 

The young wolf glared at her ex before inquiring any further. “Warn me -”

“Oh, not you.” Neeku-33 replied, his voice filled with mockery and condescension, his bulky armor clattering with every step as he stalked the women like some sort of predator. “We’re talkin’ to your little friend there.”

“You’ll want to be careful with this one!” Nicole smiled malevolently, eyeing the Ahamkara. “She has a rep for managing to lose everyone who’s gotten close to her, y’know!” The woman continued flatly. “Wouldn’t want a pretty little thing like you to get hurt, now would we?”

“Watch it!” Calico hissed. “You don’t have a fucking right to -”

“Oh, don’t get me wrong!” The huntress interjected with frustration. “The guardian of guardians is just that, she’ll protect you from all sorts of critters lurking in the darkness, but if you -”

“That’s enough!” Calico burst angrily, trying to draw Riven away from the vindictive guardians, quickly pushing Neeku aside in a desperate attempt to escape.

“She never did tell you what happened to her previous fireteam, did she?!” The huntress inquired with a shout as the duo quickly walked away. “She wasn’t killed by the darkness, you know!” 

The trio’s laughter continued as Calico and Riven turned the corner to make their exit. Their taunts and goading slowly becoming inaudible as the two walked away. “Are you ok?” The black-haired woman inquired, now realizing that her friend’s facial expression resembled what could only be described as boredom.

“Why wouldn’t I be?” The Ahamkara yawned sleepily, still clutching onto her friend’s arm, using her other arm to adjust the jacket that she had begun to grow a deep affinity for. 

“Well, it just, uh… Got pretty intense back there.” Calico chuckled awkwardly, scratching the back of her head. “I wanted to make sure you’re alright.”

“You forget who I am, WHAT I am, o bonded mine.” The Ahamkara replied flatly, staring at the taller woman. “But – your concern is appreciated.” She continued, now turning her gaze to the stars up above. 

The two women continued their walk in silence until they reached a small courtyard. A large, solitary tree stood directly at its center, surrounded by the apartments of guardians and tower residents alike. During the day, this courtyard was full of life and activity. Many of the complex’s residents would flock to their patios in order to tend to their gardens, or merely lounged around outside to enjoy the view. But at this hour everyone was asleep, leaving the two women the chance to enjoy their solitude in peace.

Taking a seat against the trunk of the tree, Calico released a deep sigh, throwing her head back to watch the stars. “You gonna judge me for this too?” The young wolf questioned wearily, closing her eyes as she enjoyed the crisp night air. 

“No.” Riven replied gently. “I spent many a night like this with Mara.” She added, taking a seat beside the titan, and adjusting the jacket which she had let her borrow. 

“Just like this? Huh?” Calico chuckled, trying to conceal the warmth that began to grow inside her as the shorter woman proceeded to lean on her shoulder.

“Mara adored herself, but not to this extent.” Riven quipped dryly, prompting a loud guffaw from her companion.

The thought of Mara wishing for a clone of herself to snuggle with had caught the sunbreaker completely off guard, but it had led to further questions. The false Awoken now resting on her shoulder had spent much of her time with the actual Awoken matriarch, and Calico couldn’t resist to learn more about the relationship her friend had with the late Queen of the Reef. “Do you miss her?” The titan asked somberly, opening her eyes to stare at the stars. 

“That woman had the audacity to trap me in a tower for centuries.” Riven hissed, still nuzzling against the taller woman. “I was forced to construct a machine to twist my own words, my own actions, against me. And you ask if I missed my jailer?” 

“Sorry.” The black-haired woman chuckled guiltily. “It’s just that sometimes the way you speak about her it sounded like you two were close.”

“Any relationship has the capacity to both wound and heal, guardian.” Riven replied matter-of-factly, watching a ship slowly ascending into orbit overhead. “Mara rescued me from your… Great Hunt.” Her words filled with venom upon the recollection of the xenocide. “She cared for me, we shared many memories together, but she was a fool for thinking she could use me as some instrument. In the end, it was her own hubris that has led the Dreaming City to its current state.” 

Riven furrowed her eyebrows upon the thought of her bargain with Savathûn. Her ‘partnership’ with Oryx had been both mutually beneficial and mutually detrimental. Both the Hive God and the Ahamkara had planned to abuse the powers of the other for their own purposes, but in the end Riven had gotten exactly what she wanted. It was easy to manipulate Oryx, the Taken King. He had been lost in his grief and his rage, his desperation to wound the warriors of light as they had wounded him after murdering his son had made him vulnerable. He had been an easy mark. But Savathûn… She was the first competition that the Ahamkara had had in a long time, a trickster goddess even more powerful and conniving than she, and while she admired her cunning, a part of Riven was afraid of what Oryx’s sister was truly capable of.

The never-ending curse upon the Dreaming City was Savathûn’s idea, it was a mechanism intended to fuel the Hive goddess with seemingly infinite power. The wish she had granted the goddess was genius, but now she had come to view it through an entirely different lens. When the young wolf had literally stolen her heart, the Ahamkara’s bond with the Hive goddess had come to an end, she had a new bond with the young titan, and not just any bond, but a bond of friendship. 

And friendship. Friendship meant support, it meant care, it meant guidance, it meant standing beside the one you cared for even against the most insurmountable of odds, which is exactly what Calico now faced. It might not have been for months or even years, but the guardian had seemingly declared war on any and all that threatened her home and the people within it; which meant one thing: It would only be a matter of time until Riven would soon face the weapon of her own design, and the goddess who had connived her into making it in the first place. 

And she was afraid.

Calico had wanted to scowl at the shorter woman. Who knew what ramifications this curse would have in the long run? The horrors of this wish would be a mess, and a mess that the titan would inevitably have to clean up herself. No, she wouldn’t have had to do this solo, not anymore. Riven would pay for her actions, but not with death, no, she wouldn’t have the privilege of death. She would help undo what she had wrought in one way or another, and Calico would make sure of it. 

The sunbreaker had begun to plan a speech, she would inform Riven of all that she would do to redeem herself in the eyes of the light. Her plan, however, had been abruptly shut down upon the realization that the false Awoken had now fallen asleep on her shoulder. Gently wrapping her arm around the shorter woman, Calico closed her eyes and fell asleep. This was definitely not how she had planned her night to go, but she had absolutely no complaints. 

* * *

Calico awoke to what could only be described as a slap in the face, which was fitting, because she had, in fact, been awoken by a rubber ball hitting her right on the cheek. Years of battle-hardened reflexes caused the woman to jump up, ready to strike back against her assailant. Her swiftness would have been useful had there actually been an enemy to fight, but her attackers merely happened to be a small group of human children.

“I’m sorry, miss!” Fumbled a young, freckled boy, no older than seven or eight years old. “We were playing and -”

“Ah, you don’t need to apologize for an accident, kiddo!” The guardian smiled, ruffling the boy’s messy brown hair before turning to ensure her companion was alright.

The child chuckled, watching the false Awoken rubbing her eyes in a lazy attempt to wake herself up. “Wow!” The boy erupted. “Are you an Awoken?!”

“Is she your girlfriend?!” Burst the voice of a little girl, making her way out of the small group of children that had come to approach them. “You two were sleeping together ALL MORNING!” She giggled with delight. 

The two women rose to their feet, looking down at the curious eyes of their assailants. “No!” Calico burst, a blush growing upon her cheeks. “And she’s an Ahamkara, she’s not Awoken.” The titan continued, watching Riven turn her way with shock.

“What’s that?” Called the voice of another child.

“She’s – she’s basically a dragon who grants wishes.” Calico smiled, placing her hand on the shorter woman’s shoulder to comfort her, noticing the distress on her face. A burst of oohs and ahhs erupted from the crowd as they gathered closer with interest. “She, uh – likes her space though, so if you could please back up a little – ” The sunbreaker continued, gently shooing the giggling children a few feet back.

“Calico!” Riven snapped, distress visibly seeping into her voice and facial expression. “Why are you -”

“Kids are the future. You teach em’ love and compassion young.” The taller woman smiled, high fiving the freckled boy. “We’re not hiding who you are from anyone any longer, and if the kids like you then their parents might be a bit more accepting. 

Riven eyed the children with disgust, they were all so dirty and rambunctious, their desires shifting from one second to the next. 

“If she’s a dragon then why’s she so pretty?” Another girl giggled, a grin plastered on her face. 

The Ahamkara, enjoying the praise, couldn’t resist the inquiry of the tiny human. How could she deny such a bright little girl the knowledge she sought? “This form pleases me.” Riven smiled. “But I can take many.” 

“What do you really look like?!” The freckled boy erupted with curiosity.

“Like a big lizard.” Calico laughed, causing the children to burst into laughter, and her friend to glare at her in response.

“Can we see?” The boy asked, prompting the small crowd to jump up and down, also asking to see the Ahamkara’s true form. 

“No! No… no.” The sunbreaker chuckled nervously, noticing her friend trying to repress a large grin from growing on her face.

The guardian’s response caused the group of children to aw in disappointment, before another curious child quickly erupted with a question. “Can you breathe fire?!” A shrill voice erupted from the group. 

The Ahamkara watched the group of children staring at her, eager with anticipation, and turned towards her friend. “Go ahead.” Calico smiled and folded her arms, just as eager to watch the woman show off her abilities.

Raising her head skyward, the false Awoken released a small puff of fire from her lips before flashing a large toothy grin. It was an impressive display, and the children cheered and clapped with excitement. The Mara lookalike had wanted to bask in the adulation of the spectators gathered round, but something inside her had caused her to try and determine what the young wolf’s reaction would be. 

The titan practically radiated with joy as she gave the Ahamkara a nod of approval. “Alright, we’ve gotta get going now.” The sunbreaker addressed the children, who had now begun to follow the duo as they made their way to Zavala’s office.

“Where are you going?” Questioned the voice of a girl who had now retrieved the ball which had stricken the young wolf. “On an adventure?!” 

“Nah.” Calico smiled, watching a ship zooming overhead through the overcast sky. “We’ve gotta go talk to Zavala.”

“Who’s that?” Interrupted another child curiously.

“He’s – He’s like the principal of the guardians.” Calico laughed, causing the kids to ooh in mockery. 

“Are you in trouble?!” The freckled boy goaded, trying to keep up with the titan and her companion. 

“Oh, yeah, and you guys will be too if you all show up to his office, so go on! Go back to playing your game!” The titan laughed, chasing the group of children as they ran back to the courtyard in a fit of giggles. 

Riven watched the titan return back to her side, reaching out to interlock her arm with the taller woman. “You have quite a way with the little beasts.” The Ahamkara remarked flatly. 

“Bah!” Calico chuckled as she drew the false Awoken closer with her arm. “Look at you though! That was quite the display!” The sunbreaker smiled, happy that her friend decided to play along in the first place. 

“Reality bends to my whim, and you have me performing party tricks.” Riven scoffed with a roll of her eyes, watching a group of guardians who had turned to stare at her as they walked by. 

“It was more than a party trick.” The taller woman replied happily, nudging her friend with her shoulder. “Times are tough. We could all use a little distraction from everything going on right now, and I hope you start to see that.”

“We may be friends now.” Riven started matter-of-factly, taking in the sights of the tower around her. “But if you expect me to start pulling rabbits out of hats then you are more of a fool than I thought.”

“What are you talking about?” The young wolf laughed, now noticing that they had arrived at the elevator to the Titan Vanguard’s office. “I was hoping that you’d be the rabbit.”

The two women made their way to the elevator and stepped aboard, the full weight of what they were about to do now beginning to make itself felt upon their shoulders. “There are hundreds of guardians on this floor alone.” Riven remarked, watching her taller companion start up the lift. 

“We’ll be fine.” Calico replied sternly, more to herself than the Ahamkara. “But you gotta work with me, here. No wishes, no talking back, no – ”

“All of this… For companionship.” Riven interjected dryly. “Is it worth it?” The false Awoken inquired as she looked towards the titan with curiosity.

The young wolf stared at Riven, her bright blue eyes piercing intensely into her own. It had been so long since she’d spent time with anyone outside of vanguard missions or crucible matches, and she hadn’t realized just how much she missed it. “Yes.” Calico replied proudly, now turning to face the large door now separating them from Commander Zavala. “Nothing is more important than friendship.” 

“Oh, great.” Marcel quipped sarcastically from within the guardian’s backpack. “We’re going to die, and your last words are going to sound like they were ripped straight from an afterschool special.” 

The doors to the office opened. It was time to reveal the truth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I was writing this I learned that apparently Netflix is going to be releasing a movie called, I shit you not, "Wish Dragon." Needless to say I am eagerly looking forward to its release... hahaha. Anyways, I hope y'all have been well! Stay safe, stay inside, and stay kind. See y'all next week!


	7. The Vanguard

Commander Zavala was supposed to be alone, he should have been alone, but the status quo had altered, Cayde-6 was dead. It had been a little less than a month since the hunter vanguard’s passing, but both Ikora and Zavala had been at a loss as to determining a worthy replacement, and it was for this reason that Ikora had joined the titan vanguard so early into the morning. The duo had their backs turned to Calico and Riven as they entered the office, both soaking in the sight of the last city through the enormous glass window behind the Awoken’s desk. Calico felt her stomach drop, quickly realizing that the woman she had come to defend was actually the real culprit behind Cayde’s death. Sure, she was taken when her corruption of the Awoken prince had occurred, but the vanguard probably wouldn’t care, she was the reason their friend was dead. 

In what almost felt as if the vanguard had heard the inner turmoil brewing inside her, both Ikora and Zavala turned, watching as the young wolf made her way inside with her companion. “Calico?” Zavala practically gasped, shocked that the young wolf had actually ventured to the tower of her own free will. “What are you -” The vanguard had wanted to question her presence here, but it was the sight of the woman beside her that had caused him to freeze in his tracks.

“What are you? – How are you here?” Ikora Rey interjected quizzically, folding her arms as she stared at the white-haired woman before them. “You’re dead.” 

“Funny story.” Calico laughed awkwardly, scratching the back of her head. “This, uh, it’s not Mara Sov.” She continued, turning to the shorter woman whose arm was still interlocked with her own. 

Zavala released a weary sigh as he placed both of his hands atop his desk. “Explain yourself, guardian.” 

Calico froze, desperately trying to think of a way to sugarcoat the situation and released an awkward smile. “She’s my friend.” The sunbreaker grinned, nudging for the shorter woman to introduce herself only to be met with a glare.

“Your friend.” Ikora started, furrowing her eyebrows as she inspected the women before her. “Bears an uncanny resemblance to Mara Sov.”

“Yeah! Yeah… She sure does.” The titan started. “See – ”

“I can take any form you wish.” Riven interjected with a twinkle in her eye. A response that had caused the young wolf to nudge Riven's shoulder aggressively.

The titan and warlock vanguard swapped glances before prodding any further. “What’s your name?” Ikora questioned, trying to hide the suspicion in her voice. 

Calico had wanted to be the one to introduce the shorter woman, she had wanted to explain herself before informing the vanguard of her friend’s true identity, but her lack of foresight had failed her, and before she could even react, the Ahamkara replied to Ikora’s question. 

“Riven.” The false Awoken replied smugly, holding on tighter to her companion’s arm. 

“I’m sorry.” Zavala cut in with a frown. “Did you say Riven?” 

Calico nodded guiltily, watching as Ikora visibly stopped herself from drawing her shotgun. “Riven as in… the Ahamkara you were assigned to kill in the Dreaming City, guardian?” The warlock vanguard questioned angrily. 

The malice that now began to swell upon Ikora’s face was unmistakable, and had she not been accompanied by her ghost and the Mara lookalike, the young wolf would have genuinely been frightened. 

“She’s – We’re friends – I – ” The titan fumbled nervously, regretting the fact that she had taken very little time to even plan on what she would say in this situation. “I wasn’t going to finish the genocide YOU started!” She hissed. 

A pained expression began to grow on Zavala’s face. The vanguard’s orders to hunt down the Ahamkara was not one that he had chosen lightly, and despite the race’s abilities and malevolence, this act was still one that filled him with regret until this day. But seeing Riven here, he was also reminded of his pain, and the reason he had decided upon the order of the xenocide in the first place. It was an Ahamkara that had killed the first hunter vanguard, and it was now an Ahamkara that had killed the last one, and she was now standing before him.

“Ahamkara are dangerous, guardian!” Zavala burst with frustration. 

“And so am I” Calico replied, watching the vanguard stare at her in shock. “I’m sorry! – ” The sunbreaker continued guiltily. “But -”

“Do you realize that Ahamkara have the potential to influence your thoughts?!” Ikora snapped, unable to restrain her anger and raising a shotgun towards Riven’s head. “They’re manipulative, they have no sense of empathy, they – ” Ikora lowered her voice along with her shotgun, she had wanted to be angry, but the more and more she thought about the wish-dragon’s abilities the more she became concerned for the young wolf. “Guardian, I’ve seen what Ahamkara can do, and Zavala was right. Hunting them down was -”

“Are you seriously going to look me in the eye and tell me that every single member of an entire species is malevolent and cruel?” Calico hissed.

“It’s in their nature, guardian.” Zavala interrupted sternly. “Can you tell me with one hundred percent certainty that your … ‘friend’ isn’t influencing your will as we speak?” The man questioned with a frown, folding his arms.

“Uh, does biological determinism mean anything to you guys?" Calico groaned before realizing what her handler had just said. "Wait – I thought you just granted wishes?” 

“I’ve tried.” Riven replied to the vanguard with annoyance, ignoring the question from the black-haired titan. “Her obstinance is insufferable.” 

“Wait, what?!” Calico asked in shock, watching the Ahamkara stand on her toes to brush a loose strand of hair out of her face. 

“You see, guardian?” Ikora questioned with distress. “She’ll even admit to trying to take advantage of you… Even in death she would – ”

Calico had known that Ahamkara were a powerful species, capable of shaping and reshaping reality as they saw fit, but she had not fully realized the extent of their capabilities. And it was with this fact that the young wolf grew furious. “Wait, one second!” The titan burst in what was practically a growl. “You’re telling me, that the Ahamkara could influence our thoughts and actions, EVEN after death… And you wanted me to listen to Petra and kill her?! KNOWING I’d be susceptible to that type of influence?!” 

Riven practically snickered at the guardian’s epiphany. Even if she had followed her orders and killed her, they would have been bonded for all their lives. “Why you’d want a divorce is beyond me, o Calico mine.” The Ahamkara grinned mirthfully, practically snuggling into the taller woman’s arm. 

Zavala guiltily turned to the warlock vanguard, her expression now growing melancholy, before approaching the two women before him. “Guardian, we didn’t – ”

“After all I’ve done for this city! All I’ve done for its people!” The sunbreaker burst angrily. “You owe me this!”

Ikora joined her fellow vanguard as he approached the young wolf and sighed. “Calico… With every wish you make, your ‘friend’… grows more and more powerful.” The warlock frowned before turning to throw a glare at the false Awoken. “She’s already the most powerful -”

“My bonded refuses to wish for anything.” Riven interrupted with a scoff, her arm still firmly interlocked with the titan’s. “I can make her every whim - her every desire bear fruit, and still, she refuses me. I believe this is what you’d call, karma.” The Ahamkara groaned. 

“The temptation will arise eventually, Calico.” Ikora sighed, placing a hand on the sunbreaker’s shoulder. “One day, you’ll - ”

“No, I won’t!” Calico snapped again, causing the vanguard to practically gasp in shock, unused to the typically recalcitrant titan now showing so much emotion. “Everyone has desires, but apparently nobody has restraint! I may not have much, but it’s enough! Don’t mistake me for the rest of these guardians whose hunger and thirst for more rivals the Hive!” 

The tragedy that had struck Calico’s fireteam was an incident that had quickly made its presence known around the tower after it had occurred, rumors circulating like faux exotic engrams in the black market. Nearly every guardian had lost someone, and Ikora knew how tempting the chance would be to see the dead once again, now more than ever. It was the one wish she knew the young wolf would definitely be unable to resist, and while she hated having to bring it up, it was the only way she knew she’d be able to get the titan to see reason. 

“Calico…” Ikora started sadly. “You may not desire money, or power, or infinite knowledge, but… If the temptation to wish your fireteam back to -”

“She’s dead!” The young wolf burst, her voice filled with so much spite that even Riven had seemingly tensed up. “She’s gone! She blasted her own ghost, and then herself!” Tears began to swell in the guardian’s eyes as she flared out at the vanguard. “Why the hell do you think she’d want to come back in the first place?! Do you think I’m an idiot?!”

“Guardian.” Zavala cut in with concern, realizing that Ikora’s attempt at logic had backfired tremendously. “We only – ”

“I will never wish for anything.” Calico growled. “Just because ‘the great vanguard’ couldn’t resist temptation doesn’t mean that I can’t.” The woman sighed, trying to calm herself down.

“Alright, alright.” Ikora frowned guiltily. “We’ll assume you have the fortitude to resist her temptations, but what if someone else -”

“If I bargain with anyone else - ” Riven groaned, turning her gaze towards Calico with resentment. “Then your guardian would be so disappointed it would end our friendship… Meaning the only wishes I can grant are her own. We’re stuck with each other.” She teased, her facial expression shifting from one of loathing to one of pleasure. 

“So, you did make a wish?” Ikora questioned, furrowing her eyebrows at the young wolf with frustration. 

“The wish I made was the last one she'll ever grant. It was the wish you would have had me use to murder her for good.” Calico sighed, quickly stealing a glance at a ship that had quickly flown by outside the window. 

“What exactly did you wish for, if not her death?” Zavala inquired with concern. 

A look of sorrow grew upon the young titan’s face as she turned her head away from the vanguard towards her feet, unable to look them in the eye as she replied. “I wished for a friend.” 

It was now Ikora’s turn to let anger swell within her. The young wolf’s new friend was the same person who had killed her own, and she had to say something. “You understand it was her actions that led to Cayde’s death, guardian?” The warlock vanguard questioned angrily, clenching her fists. 

“She was taken, and you know it.” Calico retorted with frustration, unable to comprehend how the vanguard could both allow the genocide of the Ahamkara to take place and deny her of her quest to redeem and save the last of the species they had forced to extinction. 

“Taken or not… ” The titan vanguard started exasperatedly. “Your friend is too -”

“I believe you underestimate the brilliance of my bonded’s wish.” Riven interjected, gazing at the taller woman by her side before turning to face the vanguard with revulsion. 

“Explain yourself.” Ikora replied with a glare. 

“If I hurt ANYONE against her will, our bond is broken, I fail to uphold my end of our deal.” Riven sighed, clearly getting bored with this entire ordeal. “Most of those who bargain with me do not win, and your young wolf has discovered the singular way to leash me. What took Mara years to do, the construction of her infernal ‘Well of Wishes,’ was the only way she could stop me from – ” The Ahamkara chuckled malevolently, averting her eyes as she reflected upon her past. “Well… Let’s just say it was the only way she could keep me playing fair. Calico has managed to accomplish bonding me in one wish, a goal I remind you that took the Awoken Queen hundreds.” Riven continued, gazing at the black-haired titan with a strange combination of both admiration and resentment. “It’s funny what you guardians are capable of when you start to think rather than shoot first.”

Calico had had enough of the vanguard’s hypocrisy. So many guardians had teetered along the edge of darkness and light, so many guardians had fallen, and yet the vanguard would refuse to step in. She wasn’t going to let these two stop her from trying to save the last of a dying race, from saving her friend, and if she had to be exiled from the city itself then she would have happily walked away from the last city with no regrets. Much to her surprise, however, Commander Zavala began to speak.

“Fine, guardian.” The Awoken sighed, rubbing his temples. “I’ll allow your friend to remain in the city, but if she slips up in any way -” 

The vanguard’s speech was swiftly interrupted by the embrace of the young wolf who had now wrapped her arms around the Awoken in a rib-crushing hug. “Oh, thank you, Zavala! I promise you won’t regret it! She’s going to be a model citizen, I swear!” She laughed, releasing the titan to join her friend’s side. 

Ikora shook her head upon the sight and turned her gaze back towards the window behind them. “If she hurts one more person…” The warlock vanguard started angrily, folding her arms behind her back. “I swear to you guardian, I’ll finish her off myself.” 

The warlock’s response had filled the young titan with frustration. How many of the order had been driven mad by their curiosity and their desire to peer into the deep? How many had died their final death’s in their manic obsession to unravel the true knowledge of not just the Ahamkara, but the Vex, and the Hive, and the darkness itself? In any other situation Calico would have begun to rant, but right now? She was just happy to be off the hook. 

Giving the vanguard a quick wave, the hero of the Red War took her friend’s arm and made way for the exit. 

“Guardian?” Zavala called, watching as the two women had almost left his office. “There’s still one thing you need to explain.”

“Oh?” Calico replied with curiosity, turning to face the vanguard. “And what’s that?”

“How did you manage to sneak the last living Ahamkara out of one of the most secure facility’s in the system?” 

“I’ll tell you another time.” The sunbreaker winked, remembering that she would see the titan on his birthday. “But we have something urgent to attend to right now.” And before the Awoken could make any rebuttal, Calico had left the office. 

* * *

Their meeting with the vanguard behind them, Calico and Riven returned back to their ship. The Ahamkara eagerly hopped atop the taller woman’s lap and threw her arms around her shoulders, turning her head to gaze outside the cockpit. She had the power to bend time and space, yet she had seen so little of it, and while she would never admit, these little joyrides were becoming very pleasurable. This covenant with the young wolf was only in its infancy, but it was already much better than the literal cages she was forced into with her previous bondholders. 

“Well!” Marcel chimed happily, phasing outside of his guardian’s backpack. “We didn’t die!” 

Riven gently nudged the tiny lunar lander with her hand and scoffed, her eyes still locked onto the view outside as their ship flew through the clouds. “Like those insects would have the audacity to even try.” 

“They have a right to be concerned.” Calico started frankly, piloting their ship back to the city below. “And speaking of concerned.” She continued, throwing a grumpy stare to the woman atop her lap. “What exactly did you mean, you tried to influence my thoughts?”

“We have a bond now, we are friends.” The Ahamkara grinned. “Forgive me for making myself comfortable amidst your thoughts, for trying to – to help push you towards your goals. I thought that’s what friends do?” 

“You can read my fucking mind?!” Calico burst, unable to determine the emotions that she was beginning to feel. An expression of bewilderment plastered on her face. 

“We have a connection now, o bonded mine.” Riven replied smugly.

The Ahamkara’s words, however, had not been spoken through her lips, but had sounded off in the titan’s head, as if Riven’s thoughts were her own. It was an alien feeling, someone else’s words now implanted in her own head, and it had left her feeling very uneasy. 

“So – we can speak telepathically?” Calico thought, experimenting with her newfound method of communication.

“This is only the bleeding edge of what I can teach you, Calico.” Riven replied, her words once again echoing within the Titan’s. “You could do this with anyone, you could have abilities that –”

“Are – are you guys ok?” Marcel burst with concern, unaware of the dialogue that the two women were having. 

“Yeah! Yeah, we’re fine.” Calico laughed, now speaking verbally. “Apparently, Riven and I can communicate telepathically! The vanguard sure didn’t put that in the raid briefing!” The titan scoffed with disbelief. 

Riven turned her gaze towards her companion and released a small grin. “And just think – what else aren’t the vanguard telling you?” She cooed. 

“Well…” Marcell started frankly. “You brought this upon yourself, and I hope this is the last of your crazy ideas.” 

The titan threw a wry grin towards her ghost and released a cackle. “Oh, no. Guardians operate in fireteams of three, and there’s -”

“Oh, no! No!” The ghost burst, lowering his carapace in an attempt to glare at the young wolf. “That is a very bad idea, and the payoff isn’t even -”

“What does my bonded desire?” Riven chuckled, tracing circles along the titan’s chest. 

“She wants to be a Kell.” Marcell scoffed with annoyance. “Got the idea from when we first met the real Mara Sov all those years ago.” 

“I could make you the Kell of Kells.” The Ahamkara purred. “I – ”

“Nope!” Calico interjected cheerfully. “I wouldn’t have the satisfaction of workin’ for it, and I don’t want to be a Kell… I’ve always just wanted to operate in a fireteam with an Eliksni.” 

“A fireteam member isn’t a fireteam member if – ”

“HOW I acquire said fireteam member is irrelevant.” The titan laughed heartily, quickly turning their ship around, and picking up speed. 

“We are not doing this now.” The ghost replied angrily. 

“Oh! We’re doing this now!” Calico cackled, picking up speed as the ship quickly flew past the walls of the city.

They were in fact, doing this now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's always been something a little off to me about "The Great Hunt," and I'm probably going to delve into this a bit more in the future. If Ahamkara are sentient beings then doesn't it seem a liiitttle morally dubious to order every last one to be killed? I don't know, just some food for thought about the morality of the "light" I suppose. Anyways, I hope all of you guys are doing well, and I'll see you next week!


	8. Frank the Shank

The European Dead Zone had been plagued by the House of Dusk for years now, remnants of the Eliskni foraging and hunting for whatever Earthly treasures still remained in the ruins of the ancient city. The cloud-filled sky practically tinged the region with shades of gray, save for a single clearing. A solitary beam of sunlight had pierced its way through the overcast, shining brightly upon Calico’s target. A group of shanks slowly navigated their way through the forest, and it was the perfect opportunity for the titan to begin her plan.

Atop a small hill overlooking the forest clearing, the young wolf, the Ahamkara, and the ghost all hid behind a large, overturned log, lying in wait to ambush their prey. “So, here’s what I’m thinkin.’” The sunbreaker started confidently, peering over the log to count the shanks down below. “We capture eight of em’, rig em’ up to a sleigh, and – ”

“You’re not Santa Claus.” Marcel snapped with frustration, now increasing the thrust to his boosters in order to get a better view of the shanks. “No.”

“Fine!” Calico replied in a low whisper, throwing up her arms defensively. “We’ll just steal two of them! I’ll strap em’ to my boots and -”

The ghost slowly turned his gaze skyward in his best attempt at an eyeroll. “No!” 

“I happen to think it’s a great idea.” The Ahamkara replied flatly, peering at her fingernails as she sat up against the log. 

The little ghost lowered the thrust to his boosters, once again taking cover behind the log to confront the false Awoken. “Don’t encourage her! She doesn’t even know how to reprogram a shank! She tried reading a coding book once and -”

“The sentences were all numbers!” Calico panicked, shaking her head before retrieving a small pair of binoculars from her backpack. “It doesn’t matter! There are plenty of smart people in the city, I’m sure -”

“Aren’t you already pushing it with this one?!” Marcel snapped, throwing a quick glare towards the Ahamkara. “I mean, no offense.” 

“It doesn’t matter!” Calico sighed as she peered through her binoculars. “Look -” The titan continued, placing the device into her backpack and passing it to Riven. “I’ll start small. I’m just going to capture one and we’ll work from there.”

“And how exactly, do you plan on restraining the one?” Marcel sighed.

“Easy!” The young wolf beamed, flashing a toothy grin. “Riven, can you please get the duct tape from my -”

“THE WHAT?!” Marcel hissed in a loud whisper, trying to keep calm in order to avoid drawing attention to themselves. 

Quickly taking a large roll of duct tape from her friend, Calico hopped over the log. “You two stay here! I’ll be back with our new friend.”

“She’s going to get herself killed one of these days.” Marcel sighed, landing atop a small pile of moss beside the white-haired woman.

“Mmm… Yes, little one.” Riven replied nonchalantly, leaning her back against the log. “And what a way to die.” 

“What are you talking about?” The ghost questioned with suspicion, watching as the woman beside him shut her eyes. 

“I can not only shape reality but see other potentialities as well.” Riven sighed wearily. “Does your vanguard truly not teach you -”

“No, no, no.” Marcel groaned. “I mean – You’ve seen how Calico dies? You know how -”

The false Awoken chortled and turned towards the little ghost. “Yes, I have seen it. And I guarantee you’d be pleased.” 

“Me?! Pleased?! Why would I -”

“Many of those who seek knowledge, specifically your warlocks – ” The Ahamkara groaned with disgust. “Often find themselves displeased with the answers they seek. Who they were before they were brought back to life by your precious traveler, how they die, who they’ll become, it’s all the same to me…” The Ahamkara continued, once again proceeding to lean back against the log. “But your guardian… well, she’s one of the lucky ones.” 

“And what exactly do you mean by that?” 

“Oh, you’ll be the first one to know, o necromancer mine.” The woman grinned sinisterly. “But for now, your guardian needs you.”

Any of the ghost’s potential inquiries were quickly interrupted by the sound of Calico’s shouts of both excitement and terror followed by the gunfire of what sounded like several shanks. “We’re having this conversation again later.” Marcel sighed, slowly floating over the tree to assist his guardian in her abduction attempt. 

With the annoying little ghost out of her hair, Riven sighed and proceeded to curl up into a ball for a nap. It was going to be a long day. 

* * *

After several deaths, a dozen wasted ammo cartridges, eight hours, and more rolls of duct tape than was humanly possible, Calico had finally managed to capture a functional shank. Over the course of its capture the small purple drone had been severely damaged; one of its engines now only held together with a copious amount of duct tape, its forward mounted gun had been ripped off, and one of its optical sensors had been damaged beyond repair, but the deed was done. 

After throwing the drone into her ship’s rear storage compartment, Calico and her motely fireteam boarded the spacecraft and headed home. Starlight and moonbeams illuminated the cockpit of the young wolf’s ship as she flew the hauler back to the tower. Riven’s arm gently wrapped around the titan as she slept, prompting a groan from the titan’s ghost.

“How is she still so tired?” Marcel questioned scornfully, floating over the shoulder of his guardian. “She literally sleeps all day!” 

The titan quickly turned her gaze towards the sleeping Ahamkara whose head nestled atop her shoulder. “Different species, man.” The young wolf smiled with a soft whisper. 

“You’re just building quite the menagerie, aren’t you?” Marcel sighed, now turning to stare at the stars overhead. 

Calico desperately tried to repress a chuckle in order to avoid waking her sleeping companion. “Don’t tell Calus.”

Marcel shivered upon the thought of the Cabal emperor and his massive leviathan orbiting above Nessus, slowly consuming the planetoid as if it were but a morsel. So many guardians had flocked to his ship to partake in his challenges and revelries, all of them enamored with his promises of wealth and power. It was funny actually, the sovereign had actually been much like an Ahamkara in that matter, and yet the vanguard still had yet to green-light an actual hit operation on their potential foe. 

Calico had only made three trips to the planet-consuming ship, mostly in hopes that the emperor would remember her favors in the future, but that is where she drew the line. She knew making an ally out of the Cabal’s leader would be a long shot, and she had articulated her feelings towards both her companion, but she had to try. It was her infinite hope that had made Marcel believe that he had chosen his guardian wisely, her willingness to believe that even the cruelest of beings could one day grow to become a potential comrade against the forces of darkness. 

Up until now the titan’s desires had all been a pipe dream, but now her hopes were coming to fruition, and Marcel – was afraid. 

“Say, Marce?” Calico whispered softly towards her ghost. “Ya think Riven’ll like s’mores?” 

“I don’t think she truly likes anything.” Marcel sighed, practically glaring at the false Awoken.

“Oh, what a load of crap.” Calico sighed wearily. “She likes hot dogs, and syrup, and pretzels, and – ” 

“None of that compares to what she truly enjoys, Calico.” The little ghost interjected frustratedly. “No amount of carbohydrates and glucose will ever make an Ahamkara -”

“You don’t get it, buddy!” The young wolf smiled softly, gently using one of her hands to nudge her companion. “This is the first time that she’s truly getting to live out the human experience. It’s not just the food, it’s – it’s the little things! The warmth of nap in the summer sun, it’s the gentle crunch of snow under boots on a winter’s day, it’s having lunch with a friend you haven’t seen in what feels like ages, it’s – love…” Calico froze upon the last thought, and quickly shook her head. “She’s experiencing all of these things for the first time! How can you not fall in love with being alive, with being human - or Awoken, I guess? After experiencing all this planet has to offer?” 

“You said it yourself, Calico.” Marcel sighed, trying to repress the pride he felt for his guardian in order to express the concern he felt over the Ahamkara. “Let’s – let’s think of this logically -”

“Oh, here we go.” The sunbreaker quipped with a roll of her eyes. 

“Ahamkara evolved like any other species, correct? Correct.” Marcel remarked matter-of-factly. “Well – your… ‘friend’ here, has EVOLVED to manipulate you. These bargains, this wish, she’s playing along for now, but all of this is self-serving. Who knows how many eons it’s taken for them to evolve such – ”

“Weren’t Ahamkara born of the traveler?” The young wolf inquired smugly.

“Well – nobody knows for sure.” The ghost fumbled. “They arrived in the system when the traveler did, I -”

“Well, did they follow the traveler or were they made by the traveler? - ” Calico asked, genuinely beginning to wonder about the origin of the species more than wishing to shut down the complaints of her friend. “ – Because - because the answer changes so much. Why would the Ahamkara follow the traveler? What possible relationship could they have towards it? And if they did follow it then where did they come from? How did they get here? Do they have a home world that they came from? And are there still Ahamkara there? Or are they from another dimension?”

The truth of the matter was that Marcel was just as in the dark as his guardian, and the more and more she began to poke and prod, the more he began to understand just how little he actually knew. “Calico… I – ”

“So, this would raise even more questions!” The titan continued passionately, still trying to keep her tone to a low whisper. “If the Ahamkara WERE born of the traveler then how long have they been around? Because that would blow your whole ‘the Ahamkara evolved to be manipulative thing’ right out of the water! The traveler hasn’t been around long enough for any natural evolutionary process to occur THAT QUICKLY!” The titan chuckled softly, reveling in her thirst for knowledge. “It took the dinosaurs hundreds of millions of years to evolve, and they were still dumber than bricks when they took an asteroid to the face .’”

“What are you trying to say?” The little lunar lander asked hesitantly. 

“What I’m saying…” The sunbreaker started, her tone growing somber upon her sudden epiphany. “What I’m saying is that if the Ahamkara really were created by the traveler then they were made to be like this, there were no - no photo-Ahamkara... They just came into existence as the traveler willed it. They had to have been granted their powers in the same way we were.”

“Are you trying to tell me you’re going to wish for her to become a guardian?” The ghost questioned sardonically. 

“No, what I’m saying is that if the traveler created guardians and the Ahamkara at the same time then it had to have been for a purpose. Wish granters and those who wish, two sides of a single coin. Maybe they were made to test us or help us mature as a species.”

Finally grasping what the titan was trying to say, a little piece of him died. “Coevolution.” Marcel remarked sadly, turning to stare at the tiny white orb in the distance that had just come into view.

“And the worst part is… we’ll never have an actual answer as to whether my hypothesis is right or not.” Calico sighed with heartache. “And it all would have been our fault.” 

The ghost watched the traveler in the distance slowly growing in size as they made their approach back home. “No, guardian.” He replied, now with hope as he watched the woman resting on his friend’s lap. “We may get our answers one day, and it’ll be because of you.” 

Putting her concerns aside, the titan grew a sad smile upon her face. It was going to be a beautiful night. 

* * *

The last city, like many large cities before it, never slept, meaning that there were still plenty of places to go for a late-night bite to eat, and it was with this realization that Calico had decided that she would introduce her friend to the wonders of hot chocolate. The warm drink would be perfect for a walk in the crisp night air, and the titan knew just the place to get some. So, landing her ship in a solitary park near the city’s walls the titan awoke her friend and proceeded to make preparations for their journey to the vendor. 

Unlike the rest of the city, the impromptu landing pad was desolate at this time of hour leaving the trio the entire grassy field to themselves. Large apartment and business facilities surrounded the park, and it pleased the titan greatly. Ironically enough, it was very easy to grow lonely in the heart of a large city filled with people, but it was also a pleasant reminder of why she needed to fight so hard, and so, taking a quick glance at the buildings around her, the titan released a melancholy smile. 

“What exactly are we doing now?” Riven inquired groggily, rubbing her eyes with exhaustion. 

The sunbreaker, now retrieving two large pieces of rope from a storage compartment on the side of her ship beamed. “We’re getting hot chocolate! You’re gonna love it!” 

“You know what I’d really love?” Marcel interrupted dryly, watching as his guardian made her way to retrieve the shank from the spacecraft. 

“And what’s that?” Calico groaned, quickly grabbing onto the Eliksni drone as it darted out of the ship.

“I’d love if you didn’t bring that – thing -”

“His name! –” The black-haired woman struggled, wrapping as much of the rope around the shank as she could. “Is Frank!” 

Marcel groaned frustratedly, watching as the guardian finished tying a knot around the shank as if it were some sort of murderous, robotic balloon. “Frank… the shank?”

“It’s PERFECT, right?!” The young titan cackled, now tying the rope around her wrist to keep the drone from flying off. “Plus, I’m pretty sure Hank was taken…”

“You can’t just parade an Ahamkara and an Eliskni death machine around our home!” The ghost snapped, watching her friend eagerly snatching Riven’s hand. 

“FRANK wouldn’t hurt a fly! And Riven is – ” The titan smiled, watching her shorter companion lean against her. “Well, look at her!” 

The false Awoken grinned smugly at the ghost and waved in an attempt to aggravate the anxious little ghost even further. “Would you deny your guardian the pleasure of a stroll with her friend?” Riven questioned feigning distress. 

Marcel, realizing that any effort to dissuade the titan was hopeless, merely proceeded to grumble to himself and followed the two women as they made their way for the city. 

“Come along now, Frank!” Calico beamed, watching as the shank desperately tried to fly off into the sky, only restrained by a single piece of rope. “You’re gonna love this place!” 

“Calico…” Riven sighed with concern. “I do not think your companion understands you, nor does it -”

“Trust me!” The sunbreaker interrupted playfully, watching the drone beeping with distress. “He’ll pick up my vibes! Look! –” She pointed towards the shank, as its entire carapace shook in a desperate attempt to break the rope that bound it. “He’s so happy he’s shaking!” 

Marcel loosely followed his unorthodox fireteam and sighed. The sight before him looked like the start of a bad joke, but then again, what wasn’t lately? In a world surrounded by darkness, he was glad his guardian had managed to discover a little bit of the light.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another week, another chapter. I hope you guys are all doing well! Personally, self-isolating has me feel like I'm living out Groundhog's Day, yet 24 hours a day still just isn't enough??? Anyways, stay at home, stay safe, and "be excellent to each other" haha


	9. Movie Night

Living in a space as densely populated as the last city meant that one had to get accustomed to having a plethora of neighbors. Some locals withdrew into themselves, only dealing with others when absolutely necessary, and some dealt with it by becoming as close as possible with their community. The Garcia family was one of the latter, going so far as to making their apartment a makeshift café after the loss of their son who had been killed in the Red War. Their abode had been open twenty-four hours of the day, and it was the perfect place for Calico’s crew to settle in for the night. 

The apartment was much larger than Calico’s, and it had mostly been cleared out to make room for the chairs and tables of the guests. Hanging plants and crawling ivy were strung all about the walls, Mrs. Garcia’s love of gardening clearly evident everywhere one looked throughout the room. At this hour, the only customers were the young wolf and her fireteam who had taken a seat outside on the patio. After tying Frank to the patio’s railing, his engines unable to provide enough force for an escape, Calico walked into the makeshift café for their long-awaited drink. 

Mrs. Garcia watched the bizarre fireteam getting situated outside with a look of bewilderment as the sunbreaker made her way inside. Her anxious little ghost appeared to be in some sort of argument with the white-haired woman adorned in the titan’s very own jacket. It would have been quite the arrangement, the kindly old woman thought, if the woman who appeared to be Calico’s girlfriend hated her partner’s ghost, and vice versa. It would be like having two roommates who detested one another and were unable to move out. 

A large pair of circular black glasses covered the elderly woman’s face, and they did little to hide her smiling eyes as the guardian of guardians had made her approach. “Oh, Calico!” The woman chuckled mischievously, rushing as fast as her frail legs could take her to embrace the taller woman. “When did you get yourself a little girly-friend?!” 

“Oh, no!” Calico blushed, embracing the older woman. “She’s not - ”

“She’s BEAUTIFUL, darling!” The gray-haired woman interrupted rambunctiously. “Really! You two are excellent together, I mean, maybe you should clean up a bit! How you fight with those bangs is ridiculous!” 

As the older woman continued her rant, Calico couldn’t help but to analyze the older woman’s features. With every passing year the woman grew a little grayer, but nothing could extinguish her jubilant personality. It was just another cruel reminder of what it meant to be a guardian, near immortality was a curse when those you cared for didn’t harbor that same gift. One day this woman before her would be gone, along with all of the other non-guardians of the city, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. 

After several minutes of chatter and desperately trying to convince the hostess not to wake her husband to say hello, the young wolf had finally returned back to the patio with a hot mug in hand. “Sorry, guys.” The black-haired woman sighed guiltily. “She likes to talk.”

The patio had just enough room for three firepits, each surrounded by their own eclectic set of chairs. Mismatched furniture was a common sight in the last city, many of the items being salvaged from old buildings rather than made from scratch and sold. Resources were still rather scarce when one considered that the entirety of humanity had now taken shelter in one solitary metropolis. 

Riven sat cross-legged atop a soft chair, making grabby hands towards the direction of the taller woman. With a quick sigh, Calico passed the drink over and took a seat on the chair next to the Ahamkara. “It’s got whipped cream on top! You’re welcome.” The titan goaded, watching her friend eagerly sipping the liquid. 

“Are all of your Earth drinks this - sugary?” The Ahamkara questioned flatly, the pleased look in her ice-blue eyes betraying her tone. 

“Nah.” Calico chuckled, now using her thumb to gently wipe away the whipped cream moustache atop the false Awoken’s lip. “I just know you’ve got a sweet tooth. Pretty cute trait for a wish-dragon.” 

Marcel, who had merely been keeping an eye on the damaged shank, desperately wished for eyes only so he could roll them. He’d wanted to say something sarcastic but knowing that he’d given Calico enough trouble for the day, decided to keep his mouth shut.

“Guardian.” The blue-eyed woman groaned impatiently. “Ahamkara are NOT the same creatures as those from your ancient fables.” 

“Oh, whatever. I mean, you don’t even have wings. Some dragon you are.” 

The white-haired woman threw a quick glare towards her friend and took another sip of the hot chocolate. “And I thought my bonded would be taller.” 

“Oh, come on!” The young wolf laughed slapping her knee. “Not all titans can be Lord Shaxx!” 

“You could be if you so – ” Before Riven could even finish her sentence she was quickly interrupted by the taller woman placing a finger over her mouth to keep quiet.

“No! I can already think of a dozen different ways that wish could go wrong! Just… Cut it out and drink your hot chocolate!” 

“Young wolf, guardian, o Calico mine.” The Ahamkara grinned smugly, taking another sip of her drink. “We are friends! Why will you not do me this favor? Just one wish! Do you wish for me to end up like your friend here?” She questioned feigning sadness, pointing towards the shank which sat near their feet like a deflated balloon. 

“Fine!” Calico burst, quickly causing Riven to turn her head in shock. “I’ll consider it IF you tell me where you came from!” 

“Oh, you just want to take all the mystery out of our relationship, don’t you?”

“I’m serious!” Calico burst, folding her arms. “What if I wished for you to tell – wait – no. I’ve heard rumors about what y’all were doing on Venus. I don’t want to go mad or whatever.” 

“I am not some … pawn in a hivemind!” Riven spat frustratedly, placing her mug onto the floor. “I am as clueless as you are with regards towards my brother and sister’s actions. As for where we came from… well, I’d have to show you.”

“As in – you’re gonna take me to where you came from?” Calico questioned, raising one of her eyebrows with skepticism. 

“I mean I’ll show you directly through our bond.” The woman chuckled sinisterly. “Just another one of the many ‘perks’ of our relationship.”

“So… you’ll project your origin story into my head? Like a movie?” 

Riven quicky tilted her head reminding Calico of a dog hearing a strange noise for the first time. “What is a movie?” 

The Dreaming City was a practical Utopia for the Awoken before the infamous curse had been placed upon it, but it still lacked certain contemporary amenities. The truth of the matter was that while the mystical realm had been constructed in the asteroid belt, the direct result of an interstellar calamity, it still heavily resembled a kingdom ripped straight out of a fairytale book, and it was with this realization that Calico froze in disbelief. Riven, nor any of the other Reefborn Awoken had ever seen a movie before. 

“Marcel!” The sunbreaker burst with panic. “Is the fruit device still in the backpack?!” 

“Yes, ma’am.”

“We’re going to be the first people in all of history to make an Ahamkara watch a film!” The titan erupted gleefully. “We could show her something that truly encapsulates the human condition! Something that’ll show her how tragic yet beautiful it is to be human! We could make her watch something sad so she can see how life is fragile and needs to be cherished! We watch as many comedies as possible to see what type of humor she has! The possibilities are limitless! Which movie should we -”

“The one with the blue singing genie, naturally.” The little ghost interrupted matter-of-factly, watching his guardian now rummaging through the pack which Riven had taken off and placed on the floor. 

Calico flipped her bangs out of her face and sighed as she retrieved the small movie playing device. “Isn’t that a bit on the nose?”

“It has romance, comedy, a good story, what on Earth makes you think this wouldn’t be a good choi -”

“You just like the songs.” The titan groaned, reclining in her chair as she scrolled to find the movie. 

The ghost performed a small roll mid-air before hovering over his guardian’s shoulder. “I will not be shamed for having good taste.”

After scrolling for a minute or so through the fruit device, the titan finally located the movie and looked towards the Ahamkara whose gaze lingered on the stars above. “Uh, screen’s kinda small.” She chuckled guiltily. “So you’re probably gonna have to – ” 

Before the titan could even finish her sentence, she was abruptly cut off by her friend hopping on her lap. “Your joy is intoxicating.” The Ahamkara remarked dryly, placing her head atop the guardian’s shoulder. “But there is nothing you can show me that will compare to the wonders I have seen in the Dreaming City.”

Rolling her eyes, the young wolf merely groaned and played the movie. 

* * *

“Why? - ” Riven sighed, pausing to take a sip of her third cup of hot chocolate. “Did the genie not just allow the peasant to make as many wishes as he wanted?” 

The young wolf rubbed her temples, ignoring her ghost who had been humming above them with glee. “Because genies don’t work that way! Three wishes is -”

“How does the genie gain strength with only three wishes? They would have to be -”

“The genie doesn’t want strength!” Calico guffawed, staring at the woman atop her lap. “He just wanted to see the world after being trapped for so long!” 

The Ahamkara teasingly raised an eyebrow and grinned. “After he was saved by a diamond in the rough?” 

Calico groaned, instantly throwing a glare towards Marcel. “I told you this movie was too on the nose!” 

The little ghost, who was just happy to have gotten his way for once merely spun in a little circle. “You’re the one who wanted her to ‘learn about the human experience. Who better to empathize with than a genie!” 

“A genie isn’t the human experience! She - ”

“The genie couldn’t even bring anyone back from the dead.” Riven interrupted with a yawn, closing her eyes as she rested her head on the titan’s shoulder. 

Calico threw her head back to gaze at the stars, sighing with disbelief. “Name a single time where someone wishing for a friend or family member to come back from the dead turned out well!” 

Ahamkara were no strangers to raising the dead, but like with any other wish, there was a drawback. Necromancy was a dangerous game, and the Hive knew that full-well. But the Ahamkara? They had mastered it. The wish dragons could have taken the form of those who were lost, using the memories of their bonded to imitate the deceased, they could have merely animated the corpses back to life, returning their mutilated forms back to their loved ones as zombies, or – or - they could have truly returned the dead back to life, but only knowing that the dead were far worse people than their loved ones had ever remembered them being. It was a common wish, a common mistake, and there was not one person who hadn’t regretted their wish in the end. It was no matter to the Ahamkara of course, the act allowed them to garner much strength from those they had manipulated, and it was with this realization that Riven couldn’t deny her companion her victory, especially when her argument had hit so close to home. 

The topic was one that had essentially come to define who Calico was as an individual, and while the Awoken imposter easily could have perused through her bonded memories, or simply watched the loss of her fireteam play out, gazing into the infinite, she had wanted to hear her explain herself. Afterall, if the vanguard knew of her tragedy then there was absolutely no reason why HER bonded shouldn’t. 

“Why did your … friend…” Riven started softly. “Choose to -”

“You’re going to have to choose your words VERY carefully.” Calico replied, her tone growing much more serious. 

“If you’d rather I just – found these answers myself then I – ”

“No!” Calico erupted, quickly lowering her gaze to the sleepy Ahamkara. “No, I’d rather not have you just digging through my brain, thank you.” She paused with a melancholy sigh, gently brushing her bangs out of her face. “Look – ghosts… They bring people back knowing of the potential their guardians will have. Doesn’t matter who they were or what they did in a past life, all that matters is what they could be under the watch of the light. What they don’t know – ” Calico scoffed, her tone growing frustrated. “Is that there are certain traits that just can’t be healed or cured through the traveler’s blessing.” 

Riven gently nuzzled the sunbreaker’s shoulder, practically purring as she inquired further. “Meaning?” 

“Meaning – some things can’t be fixed with a simple rez. The touch of the light can’t fight the darkness that grows in our hearts. Or, I guess brain in her case.” Calico chuckled sadly, once again turning her gaze skyward. “She had her own fight with the darkness before she even became a guardian, and once she had that realization – well – she couldn’t handle it.” 

The problem with a bond of an Ahamkara, was typically the enormous dilemma of the wish-dragon’s eagerly amplifying their host’s desires to the point of action. A confident guardian could be pushed to the point of arrogance, a guardian with a grudge could eventually be persuaded to act upon their feelings, and a guardian who desired power or knowledge could be influenced to ask for it. All of these scenarios would lead to wishes in one form or another, and therefore more power for its granter, but as Calico had made abundantly clear, there was no wish that she had sought. 

Riven had peered deep into the recesses of her bonded’s mind, and there was no TRUE desire, only a vacuum. All that the woman desired she would claim herself. There was only Calico, Calico and her hope. Her stupid hope, ad optimism, and desire to do good. Her entire saccharine demeanor and urge to help all those she came across was insufferable. As she lurked through the deep recesses of her friend’s soul she had come to remember (remember?) a quote about what would happen when one gazed too deeply into the abyss. She had dug so deeply in an effort to influence her host’s mind, and yet she herself was the one who had barely escaped. Despite all her struggles, despite the pain and misery which had practically carved its name into her bones, Calico’s heart radiated with the warmth of selflessness, and it was impossible to surround yourself with such love without becoming a little kinder yourself. 

Gently lifting her head, the Ahamkara turned towards the taller woman. She watched the titan’s lips practically quivering as she repressed a sob, her deep brown eyes watery as they stared back at her. The light of the traveler was fickle, it was not the omniscient god that the guardians thought it to be, and she had so desired to goad the guardian over this fact, but it was a fact that she had already known full-well. This woman was infuriating, and yet even if she had been granted her freedom like that puerile genie in the film she had been subjugated into watching, she wouldn’t have wanted to be anywhere else. 

“Our bond will never be broken.” Riven remarked matter-of-factly. “Even in death I will be with you.” 

Calico paused, unable to determine the sincerity of her friend’s words. Any other normal person would have been able to plaster an expression on their face, but Riven had been so stoic it made much it nearly impossible to determine what she was truly feeling. Being human was hard enough, merely taking the form of one, or an Awoken in Riven’s case, would take time. “Is this your way of saying we’ll be besties for life?” The titan chuckled nervously. 

The Ahamkara tilted her head and gazed into her friend’s eyes with an expression that had been just as undecipherable as it had been for her previous statement. “And then some, o bonded mine.” She cooed, once again proceeding to recline against the guardian. 

“I um – I appreciate that.” Calico smiled sadly, now continuing to rest her own eyes. 

As she gently felt the rise and fall of the Ahamkara breathing atop her chest she couldn’t help but wonder how her little experiment had gone. If nothing else, a little prodding would help lighten her mood after discussing such a dark time in her life, and so she decided to question Riven. 

“Say – ” Calico chuckled softly towards her friend. “You never did say if you enjoyed the movie.” 

Gently nuzzling the white mane that was her hair against the sunbreaker, the Ahamkara yawned. “I just don’t understand who I was supposed to empathize with.” 

“I mean, in a good story I think you’re supposed to empathize with everyone.” The titan smiled, now regretting her ghost’s choice for Riven’s first film. “I think Marcel figured you’d relate to the genie?”

Upon hearing his name being called, Marcel happily joined in on the conversation. “It makes sense!” The little ghost chirped. “You’d be the hero, she’s the genie, and – ”

“That would make you that infernal little rodent sidekick.” Riven snickered, watching as the ghost did his best to imitate a glare. 

“First of all.” Marcel sighed testily, watching as the two women snuggled before him. “He was a monkey, not a rodent. There’s a difference. Secondly – ”

“Wait, wait, wait!” Calico interrupted with a laugh. “If you’re the monkey, Riven’s the genie, I’m the – ”

“The peasant.” Riven smiled with her eyes still closed, prompting an eyeroll from the titan.

“Then who’s the princess supposed to be?!” The young wolf continued humorously.

“Well Frank, naturally.” Marcel goaded, turning his gaze to the shank which now sat defeatedly on the floor. 

“All he’s missing is the crown.” Riven continued dryly. “You two would be perfect together, guardian.” 

“You hear that Frank? You’re beautiful inside and out, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise!” Calico chuckled playfully, watching the broken little drone whirring on the floor. “Ok, but speaking of crowns and dressing up… Riven. We’ve GOT to get you a wardrobe for the party this Saturday.”

“Am I to be your doll now?” The false Awoken sighed. 

“Oh, come on! Are you seriously going to tell me that you spent all those years with Mara Sov and didn’t see her wear a single outfit that you’d wanna try on?!” The sunbreaker asked with disbelief. “I mean! You’re literally wearing her face! You know you’d look good in whatever outfit she wore! It’s not like one of those times where you see someone wearing a cute outfit and you’re like ‘hey, I’m gonna wear that myself,’ and then it doesn’t look good on you! It’s – ”

“Another frivolous peasant desire.” Riven scoffed in a desperate attempt to downplay her eager curiosity. The form which she had now inhabited had been so restricting, so confining. It had practically been claustrophobic compared to being back in her true form, but it had also given her something that she had not had for a very long time, perspective. 

All those years trapped in the tower had been a pain in her neck as the genie in the movie had said, but it had made her appreciate Calico’s efforts all the more. As much as she had come to resent the lightbearers, it was becoming increasingly difficult to resist the sole individual who genuinely wanted her to find happiness. 

“Well, either way. You’re getting new clothes.” Calico groaned. “You’re not a cartoon character, and you can’t wear the same outfit every single day, especially since that’s my favorite jacket.” The titan continued, referencing the Luxe jacket that her companion had been wearing for nearly two days straight.

Carefully adjusting the bomber, the Ahamkara merely nodded as she drifted off to sleep. She didn’t quite know what shopping was, but that could wait until tomorrow. For now, she had just wanted to lose herself in the feeling of the crisp night air, the gentle crackling of the firepit, and the warm embrace of her friend’s arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My classes have been taking up a bit of my writing time so I apologize for any chapter delays in the future, but just know I plan on keeping this fic going for a while! I hope y'all are staying safe and staying inside. See y'all next week! <3


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